Breathe my Fire
by Dial
Summary: Serena's a young girl, just reaching womanhood. She risked it all, 5 years ago, by leaving her home to find her father. It's been half a decade, and she has seen no sign of him. While she's settling into the fact that she will never meet him, she discovers an egg. An egg that brings misery, romance, and adventure to her life. Look inside to find out more.
1. Chapter 1

**Prologue**

_A young girl watched her brother from the shadows, her face wet with tears. There he was, a pained expression hidden beneath his dark eyes. The look he held was unforgiving, which scared the girl greatly._

_She was leaving him. Leaving him for her own selfishness. The girl felt bad, yes, but it needed to be done._

_She needed to be free of this castle._

_Rain poured hard against the cloak that shadowed her eyes and back. In her hands, she was clutching a small water-proof bag. Inside it, held a note explaining things._

_Things of why she was leaving._

_The girl placed the bag beneath the bush, knowing that her family would send out a search party and find it. She wiped away her tears and breathed deeply._

_The girl shrugged the bag that clung to her shoulders and turned away._

_"Good-bye, home, and all those you've kept safe." The girl said in a soft murmur, her voice pained with hints of agony._

_Moments later, the girl was upon a white stallion and following a dull lantern through the star-lit night. She was leaving home, and had no intention in returning._

_Ever._

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Ello, guys! I see that you've taken a moment to visit this story,_ Breathe my Fire_. Just so you know, this is an original plot, and no, you do not have the authority to use it. It is mine, and nothing will change my mind upon that. Moving on!

I have been running dozens of crazy ideas through my head lately, and I've decided to.. Unleash them into a story that you guys can enjoy. This isn't going to be a story that ends after 10 chapters. Nope! I plan on having this little puppy go on for a good, long while. I have a long plot in mind for this, and I know that I'll be able to make it last.

Some characters are Christopher Paolini's, and some are mine. The point of a Fanfiction is to take the plot of a book, manga, movie, ect, and make it into a different kind of story, or continue it. I am continueing Christopher's story, and adding my own characters into the plot. If the characters weren't mentioned in the books, then they're not Christopher's. They're mine. If they were mentioned in the books, then they are Christopher's. Easy as that.

I rated this M because I plan on having some 'deep' romance included in it later on. It probably won't be for a good while, but sometime in this Fanfiction. There also might be some grory fighting moments, big deaths, ect, so watch out for those, too.

If you guys like this chapter in the end, please give a review and tell me you did! If you have some tips or something for me, then go ahead and leave those, too! I'd really apreciate it if you just took a moment of your time and gave me a review. (;

As I mentioned before, I do plan on writing a lot of chapters for this Fanfiction. Please note; chapters do take time. I have to look them over for any mistakes, spell check, and make sure it's actually somewhat interesting. I will try to give you guys chapters weekly, but I'm not making promises. Especially with school right around the corner. School will be my priority, but this will definitely be worked on in my freetime.  
I also have a few of the chapters written up, due to the fact that this site wasn't cooperating with my computer, for some reason. So, on my freetime, I was writing like a maniac. Though, after these first few chapters, don't expect them to come to often.

That's all for now. Enjoy the first chapter of _Breathe my Fire!_

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**Chapter 1**

Serena strode through the trees silently, her eyes as bright as the sunlight leaking through the treetops. It had been 5 years since she had left the castle; left her former home. Not once had she regretted her decision.

Serena followed the trail silently, her worn leather boots crunching along the flattened grass and the occasional dirt spot. She pulled her hands free of her pockets and placed them close to her face, breathing on them to bring the circulation back into her frozen knuckles. After a moment with no prevail, she grumbled and pushed them back into her pockets.

The snow was melting due to the rays of sunlight, but the wind was still bitter-cold. Serena had never really cared for the cold. She preferred the warm sunlight streaming through the trees, and being able to wade in the shallow stream located only a few meters from her cottage. Winter was almost over, and for that, she was thankful.

Serena froze when she heard a stick cracking behind her. She spun around, reaching for the dagger at her side. Her bold blue eyes shot side to side quickly, scanning for anything that looked out of place. After a moment of hesitation, Serena turned around and continued walking quietly.

Suddenly, Serena found herself pushed into a pile of snow. She let out a small yelp as she was pushed, but the yelp was muffled with a cold groan when the bitter cold snow crunched against her face. Serena pushed herself up with her hand, ignoring the cold ice that tried to slice through her delicate skin.

"Menoa!" She growled, bringing herself to her feet and facing the reason of her fall.

Menoa was her white tiger. Serena had found her two years ago. Actually, Serena had taken her. The conditions had been horrible, though, and Serena had taken the young creature. It had been a hard operation, but Serena had been detirmened. Serena was always doing things like that. Thievery was the main thing that she had done, but it had always been for a good cause. Like sometimes she stole for the children on the street, or old homeless men. Serena didn't find what she did wrong. The only thing she found wrong was keeping it all for herself.

Serena had not intended on keeping Menoa. She had planned on raising the tiger to the propper age of survival, then turning the creature loose. But, it had never happened. Menoa had decided to stick around, and Serena didn't blame her. Menoa soon found out how to catch her own food, so Serena no longer had to steal from the butcher.

Serena crossed over to the tiger and gave the mischevious creature a pat on her head before continueing on her way. Menoa knew never to enter the town, for the townspeople would kill her without a single thought. Menoa came up to Serena's thigh, and was quite long and slender. Whenever the cat stood on her back paws, she was easily taller than Serena. Serena had never thought of Menoa ever being a danger to her. Sure, Menoa was dangerous to some, but she was also Serena's protector. There had been multiple times where Menoa had scared off wild dogs, bears, and cougars.

Serena finally broke into the clearing where her small cottage was located. Serena had found it abandonded years ago, and over the years, she had been able to fix it up. It was simple. The walls were cabin-like, left in it's orginal wood-like color. The top was straw woven together to create a dense roof, then coated with clay and mud to prevent leaks and wind from coming in. It had a window or two on each side, except the side with a door. The door had a small, square glass window with a stained rose on it.

The inside consisted of three rooms. A kitchen and dining room, a living space, and a large bedroom. It all had simple, cherry wood furniture and cabinets. It consisted of oak wood floorboards. Serena had worked hard to make her home perfect, and for once, she was content with it.

Serena was almost to the porch when she tripped, landing hard in the snow. This, it wasn't Menoa's fault. Serena let out a small cry of pain and pulled her ankle towards her, cradling the throbbing bodypart. She let out a small gasp for air as the throbbing reduced to a light thrum. As soon as she could put weight upon her ankle, she searched for the reason of her tripping.

Serena dug around quietly, moving her already frozen hand over and through the snow. After a moment of sliding her hand around the icy snow, she soon found the reason of her pain. She slid both her hands into the snow and draped her fingers around the object. Serena's hands jerked away at the touch. She looked at her hands in shock. Only moments before, her palms had been shaking from the cold. Now, they were warm and soft, as if she hadn't been digging around in the snow. Serena gulped and took a small step back from the area, her eyes landing on the spot where her hands had just been.

The snow was slowly melting around the object and becoming a small puddle of icewater. The small area around the object was melted, revealing a large white stone. Amethyst veins climbed the inside of the stone, twining and untwining together every few inches.

Serena sat there, her jaw hanging the slightest. She couldn't hardly believe it. She had dreampt of becoming one of the few to hold this object in her hands, and here it was. Few people, elves, urgals, and dwarves had yet to be one of the few whom have one of these things in their presence. And there it was. Just sitting there.

Serena was frozen to her position, just sitting there staring at the egg with shallow eyes. As soon as she snapped out of her daze, she reached out and pulled the object closer. Right there, in her arms, was a dragon egg. Serena cradled It against her, as if it were only a small child. Inside, though, there was something small. Something delicate. Inside this hard shell, was a small, defenseless dragon. A dragon whom would make somebody become a Rider. And this special object, was right here, right in her arms.

Serena stood slowly and strode to her cottage, nearly forgetting to let Menoa come in after her. She set the egg on the table and looked at it with shallow eyes. It was a beautiful thing. The egg itself was the size of Menoa's head, and held the shape of an oval. The egg was to be lighter than Serena had expected, making it appear as if it were hollow. But it wasn't. Serena knew it wasn't. Still, though, Serena turned the egg slowly to look at every inch of it's surface.

Serena sighed and placed the egg back down. No matter how amazing it would be to hold this egg in her clutches forever, she couldn't keep it. She was keeping somebody's dream of becoming a Rider, and that wasn't fair. Serena pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them there, staring at the egg sitting before her.

No matter how long she looked at it, she couldn't believe it. It wasn't like she was becoming a Rider or anything, but how often do you find a Dragon egg sitting right outside your house? Not everyday, that was for sure. But it was still strange, to find something so rare, in the most common of places. Somebody could have dropped it, somebody could have left it there to keep it safe, somebody could have simply left it there on accident for all she knew. She could make up a thousand different stories on how the egg showed up right there, but there was only one, true way on how the egg showed up there.

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Phew. This isn't bad; for a start anyway.  
Tell me what you guys think by clicking the button below and leaving me a nice, little review!

Characters that were named in this story that are mine:

Serena  
(The Rider whom found the egg and the owner of Menoa... And the thief)

Menoa  
(The tigress)

The Egg  
(the object that hurt Serena's ankle. (; )

That's all for now! Remember to leave a review and tell me what you guys think!  
Until next time, friends.


	2. Chapter 2

I will be trying to post chapters at least 1-2 weeks. Though, with school coming up soon, that may be kind of hard. I will give you guys an update or whatever on every chapter, but.. The sky only knows when I'll actually get the chapters posted. Lol!

I do not in any way own Inheritance Cycle. I simply adopted the idea and what happened in the books to create a little Fanfiction writing for myself. I do, however, own a few of the characters mentioned in the story. If you have not heard the name in the books, then the character is mine.

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**Dark brown eyes looked down at her as he pushed the blankets to her chin.**

**His gentle voice made her feel safe, feel happy.**

**He was always there; every night. Tucking her in.**

**He would always be there.**

**Until the day she told him to stop.**

**She wouldn't have to stop. Because she was leaving. That night.**

**"Goodnight, Sere. I'll see you in the morning."**

Serena rolled to the side, expecting her bed to be longer than it really was. She let out a small yelp when she felt no more of the matress to keep her off the ground. The yelp, however, was no where compared to the groan she released when she landed on her stomach; hard. She layed there for a moment, waiting until the pain and throbbing faded away. During that time, Menoa had come into the room. The white tiger swept down and licked the girl with her course tongue, urging the girl to rise.

Serena pushed herself onto her hands and knees, then up to her feet. The girl shuffled out of the room and sat at the table, where the egg still sat in it's exact position as last night. She went over the dream absently in her head. She'd had it a few times, now. It was just a replay of the memory of her leaving. Though, the dream never went far enough to show the part of her actual departure. It was always ending at that same place, where he says he'll see her in the morning.

Serena pursed her lips and wiped a tear away. She had left, changed her name, and started a new life. A life of thievery and unlawful actions. There were still guards searching for her, for her mother and her brother had refused to give up. In a way, this made Serena feel guilty. She had figured after 5 years, they would have given up by now.

Serena held back a sob as another tear came. This was the first time she had cried in those 5 years. Her brother had always taught her to be strong, to not show upset emotions. To never drop her pride. Even after she had left, she kept what he had said in her heart. Though, for the first time, she had forgotten what he had told her. She had been needing to release these tears for years now, and there was no holding back. She shuddered and buried her face in her hands as the tears soaked the palms of her hands. She released no sounds, made no movements, and just let the tears fall. They came one after another, never pausing.

When she had finally stopped the tears, she felt lighter, as if there was no more weights holding her down. She stood, and wiped away the final tear. She touched the white egg absently. The tear on the back of her hand slipped down between her fingers. It landed on the shell of the egg.

Serena stumbled back as the egg began humming. She pressed herself against the wall, eyes widening until they matched the width of an owl's eyes. Beside her, Menoa released a growl and bared her teeth in warning, even though there was no potential threat in sight.

The egg ended it's humming abruptly, and Serena soon relaxed. But she wasn't relaxed for more than a heartbeat before the egg released a cracking sound that pierced the air like a roar. This time, Menoa wimpered and shook her head fiercly. The cracking didn't halt, or even pause. A crack appeared in the shell, splitting the egg down the middle.

Finally, the cracking sound stopped. Though, Serena didn't relax this time. She leaned against the wall and sank to her knees, her heart pounding against her chest so hard she swore it was going to burst out.

The egg rolled to the side, and landed hard on the ground. Serena nor Menoa made no movement to stop the egg from falling. When the egg landed with a crash, a small white figure tumbled out.

Serena choked on air. She pulled her her knees close to her, eyes widening even further; if that were possible.

In front of her, was a dragon.

Her dragon.

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Gah. Sorry for short Chapter! Also for the cliffhanger. *Evil laugh* I have an odd feeling that I am going to be giving you guys a few of those. Heh.

Not much happened in this chapter, I guess. The egg hatched, Serena had eyes the size of an owl, and Menoa is shaking like a.. A.. A shaking tiger... Lol!

That's all for now. Keep a look out for the next chapter!

Also, I would really apreciate it if you would follow this and give a review. It really lets me know how much you guys enjoy my writing, and if you want to see more of it. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Oof. We're going off topic and tackling a different one of my characters. Lawl!

Derrington is one of my two Riders males. :3 He'll be popping up in the story a lot, I assure you. Not so much now, but a lot later on. I have an idea for him. *hehe*

The other two Riders you'll meet are also mine. Well, my characters. The names, however, are not mine. They are some characters mentioned in the books, though, they were never really explained in depth. I adopted their names, and made them into some awesome characters. Their dragons are the same way. I adopted the names, and threw a character together.

I forgot to tell you guys something.. In this story, Urgals are still naughty. :3

I do not in any way own Inheritance Cycle. I simply adopted the idea and what happened in the books to create a little Fanfiction writing for myself. I do, however, own a few of the characters mentioned in the story. If you have not heard the name in the books, then the character is mine.

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Derrington leaned back so his back was aligned with Cology's. The red dragon was soaring high above Eragon's island, not a care in the world. Derrington felt a mind touch his. Hesitantly, he opened up just enough to listen to the mind. Instantly, he recognized his mentor's mind.

Eragon wishes to speak with you in his quarters. The mind said, _He's also speaking with two other Riders, but I don't know what it's about. It sounds urgent though, so I'd hurry._

Derrington sat up stiffly. "Cology, take me to Eragon's quarters."

The dragon tilted to the side as soon as the words left his Rider's mouth said the words.

Cology flew quickly to Eragon's quarters, flying over the island with ease. As soon as he spotted Eragon's massive home, the dragon moved into a shallow dive. He landed lightly, though, the ground still shuddered under the sudden weight.

Derrington slid from Cology. He scratched the wine-red dragon's snout and turned to the castle.

Eragon's home was much different from the caves and such that the students and mentors lived in. It was a stone castle with stainglass windows and many doors. The castle was huge, easily big enough Saphira to have space to move around in. Derrington had only been in the home a few times, and each time he was in it, he had been utterly amazed. Every room was massive, with a stooping roof and massive pillars holding up the ceiling. It was easy for large dragons to maneuver around.

Derrington slid his hands into his pockets and stepped in, eyes sliding back and forth in wonder. Ivy vines climbed up the marble walls, twining with the veins that blended with the white marble. This room always reminded Derrington of an egg. The way the walls were made, and the way the room was shaped.

Derrington slid down the mainhall, which he had traveled a few times before. This massive hallway led to Eragon's Throne Room. Derrington paused in front of the two massive cherry wood doors, admiring the swift and elegant designs carved into them. He took a shallow breath and pushed the massive doors open.

The doors swung open with ease, revealing a room filled with a few different Riders and multiple Elves were already in the room. Derrington strode in, bowing his head in respect to the figure sitting upon the throne.

"Ah, Derrington, just in time." Eragon said, clasping his hands in his lap. "There's no reason to stall, I suppose. As you know, we have been making small shipments including eggs to Ellesmere and Farthendur every month. The last shipment went over the ocean fine, but one off the eggs were dropped in the Spine."

Derrington glanced to the side, a movement catching his eye. An elf shifted uncomfortably, obviously guilty of the matter. Derrington looked back to Eragon as the Rider continued speaking.

"The carriers of the eggs stopped and searched for the egg, but it could not be found. There are only two reasons that could result in the egg being gone." Eragon held up one finger, indicating the first reason, "The egg didn't fall in the Spine." Eragon snapped up another finger, "Or, the egg has hatched."

Derrington's jaw tightened. Eggs were supposed to be hatched under the careful watch and guidance of the Elves or Dwarves, to avoid creating another Galbatorix. The egg could have hatched to anybody, and that person could hold any personality.

"This is where you three come in." Eragon said, sweeping a head over three students.

For the first time, Derrington realized that there were more than just mentors and Elves in the room. There were two other Apprentices in the room. Derrington looked at them both. One of them was a female with a strong, proud look to her. She had long, wavy brown hair that was cut into layers. She had bold green eyes, and a thin appearance. Derrington had seen her around in some of classes before. She was a very skilled Rider, and the owner of a very powerful dragon.

The second Rider, was a male. He had a tall, muscular build to him. He stood just as tall as Derrington, and had strait brown hair that was slightly long and ruffled. He was well toned, and had bold hazel eyes. Derrington recognized this Rider also, and also knew the Rider's name. Celyn, Rider of Vrang.

"You three will fly to Alagaesia and thoroughly search through the area. Enter bars and listen for gossip of a dragon sighting, Since the dragon is a month old, she or he will be only days from the capability of being riden. By the time you get there, the Rider will have at least tried out riding."

Derrington sifted a hand through his hair. Eragon's island was also known as Vroengard, a large island not far from Alagaesia. Derrington had not flown that far ever since he had arrived here for training, which had been an easy year and a half ago. Not only that, but he was flying with two Riders whom he hardly knew.

The female Rider piped in smoothly, "When should we leave?"

Eragon turned to the girl. "As soon as you are finished packing. I have sent out notifications to your mentors, notifying them of your leaving, so there's no reason to speak to them. The faster we find this possible egg or dragon, the better."

Derrington bowed his head again and turned away, taking his cue to exit the room. He connected his mind with Cology's and replayed the recent happening in his head. _Interesting news, I must say. You best speak with the other Riders and get a plan going. _

Derrington turned to face the two Riders, though, they were already looking at him. "Hey. I'm Linnea, and this is Celyn." The female said, motioning to the male standing next to her. Derrington dipped his head stiffly. "It's nice to meet you both. I'm Derrington." He replied, offering a small smile.

Celyn, the male, shifted his stance. "How about we pack, then meet at the food court? We can eat a meal before we go, to keep us awake. Our dragons will also need to hunt before we leave." He added, resting a hand on the handle of his sword.

Derrington nodded and gave them a small wave. "Meet you there." He said and walked away.

..::Breathe my Fire::..

Celyn watched the Rider leave. He had seen Derrington a few times before, and from what he knew, Derrington was slightly secretive and mysterious. Celyn turned to Linnea. "Catch ya later." He said, and reached forward and rubbed her head, ruffling her hair. Before she could throw a punch, he was leaving the area. He did, however, hear an angry growl coming from behind him.

Celyn let out a chuckle and proceeded to Vrang, where he explained what had happened to the egg.  
Vrang twitched the very end of his tail. _You don't seem happy about the male Rider tagging along._

Celyn shrugged and mounted the dragon. "He's kind enough, I suppose." He admitted. "But.. I don't know. He just doesn't strike me to be the type whom would be open."

Vrang launched into the sky without a reply, understanding his Rider's thoughts with the matter.

..::Breathe my Fire::..

Linnea glared at Celyn's figure as the Rider walked away. Linnea reached up and smoothed her hair, grumbling unintelligble words. She strode down the hall silently, eyes occasionally glancing at a picture hanging on the wall. As the whole Island knew, this hallway simbolized dragons and Riders of all kinds. Wild dragons, the first Rider, Eragon's story, everything. If you looked at the paintings for a while, you would see the story behind them.

Linnea had always been fascinated by them, but she never took the time to actually study them. Sure, she had given them the occasional glance, but had never taken moments of her time to look at the details, the brush strokes, anything. There wasn't enough time in a day. Most of her freetime was spent with Galzra and Celyn, or studying for her next quiz.

Linnea exited the castle and crossed over to Galzra, her massive green dragon. At the age of two years, Galzra was at the point where he could fit a horse comfortably in his mouth. Galzra was a stunning green, and from what Eragon had said, matched Firnen's scales almost perfectly. The only thing Galzra lacked was the occasional white scale. Another exciting fact about Galzra, was that he was the son of Saphira and Firnen.

Linnea greeted her dragon with a warm scratch under his chin. In return, Galzra breathed warm air on her face. Linnea smiled and crossed over to Galzra's side where she could mount.

"Apparently, we are being sent on a quest to hunt down a possible Rider and Dragon. One of the carriers lost an egg, and claims he lost it somewhere by the Spine." Linnea said as she shifted in the molded saddle.

Galzra brought himself to his full height and shook his head stiffly. _So I see. When shall we be taking off?_

Linnea leaned forward as the massive dragon took off. "As soon as possible. We're going to eat first, give you three a chance to hunt, then pack and leave."

Galzra sniffed, _We three?_

Linnea nodded, even though Galzra couldn't see her doing so. "Yeah.. Have you heard of that Rider Derrington and his dragon, Cology? They're going, and then Celyn and Vrang are going."

Galzra let out a low growl. _I don't see why Eragon couldn't have sent just us and Celyn and Vrang. We can take care of a hatchling and her inexperienced Rider, I presume._

Linnea patted his neck lightly. "Relax, Galzra. Eragon isn't sure what to expect. This Rider could be anybody or anything. A magician, a servant girl, or even a dwarf. He just doesn't want to take chances."

Galzra snorted, though, it was obvious he wasn't happy with the matter.

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See? I can post longer Chapters! Lol.

Dun dun dun... Three Riders are being sent on a quest to find the Rider! I wonder if Serena will be to happy to be captured, hmm?

Just so you guys know, I am posting so many Chapters at once is because they've already been written. Or, half-way written. I should probably space them out.. But, I don't want to. These multiple chapters should keep you guys content for a while, so then I can focus on other things.

Sorry for the short, choppy part with Celyn and Linnea.. I felt like I needed to make them do something, so I had Celyn ruffled her hair. XD

Press the button and post a review! You know you want to! (;

That's all for now! Hope you enjoyed.


	4. Chapter 4

Just so you guys know, I am going to start lengthening the chapters a little bit. I don't know why, but they always seem to end so quickly, and yeah. But that also means that I won't be able to post as quickly and such. Just keep that in mind.

Also, when you guys leave reviews, it really lets me know that you're interested in what I write. Both following and leaving reviews on the chapters and such help out more than you realize.

I don't really have to much 'planned' for this chapter, but something might come up. I dunno. Who knows, this might just end up being a chapter that just wasted my time. If that's the way it is, so be it. It will include important things that you guys don't wanna miss. ;)

Just to get this clear, I do not in any way own Christopher Paolini's books nor ideas. This is a fanfiction. I am not 'stealing' his ideas, and nor do I plan on it. I am simply adopting his characters and the past plot and making it my own. Isn't that what we're all doing here?

**I am going to be absent for a week's time.  
I will not have time to write or anything, so please be patient. I will post again as soon as I get back and can get something written.**

**I will try to post this and another chapter before I leave, but I can't make promises.**

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Serena not only had a lack of words, but she was terrified. Most people would have been overjoyed, but not her. In front of her, was a dragon. It may have been a harmless dragon hatching, but that didn't mean it wouldn't grow up to me an oversized fire-breathing lizard.

She had heard her fair share of legends and such about the mysterious Dragons. They were always surprising their Riders, and at times, even themselves. She had heard that a dragon had simply touched a tomb and it turned into dazzling diamond. Another rumor stated that a stained glass ceiling had been shattered, and a dragon had fixed it with magic. Serena had little belief in the two things, for one, because dragons didn't even have diposable thumbs. Just talons.

Serena just looked at the tiny white figure. The creature was long and thin, unlike the dragons she had seen in paintings. It had a long tail, with spikes running down the middle. The tailspikes connected with the line of spikes running down the spine and up the neck, ending at the forehead. There was a small dip inbetween the dragon's tiny shoulderblades and neck where the spikes paused. Out of her jaw jutted out three spikes, the one in the middle being the largest. The shape of the dragon's head resembled a rough triangle. The dragon itself was no bigger than Menoa's head.  
The dragon was pearlwhite, except for the occasional amethyst colored tint. The ends of each body part resulted in Alyss's white scales blending into the elegant amethyst tint. This happened on her legs, tail, and snout. The dragon's spikes and claws were both a pearly white ivory.  
Sprouting out of the back of the dragon, were a pair of wings. Unlike bird wings, these wings were made of leathery skin, not feathers. The skin itself was thin enough it was almost transparent. At a joint where the dragon's wing folded, poked out a small spike, curving like a deadly blade.  
The dragon's mouth flashed open briefly as it tasted the air. A small, snake-like tongue flicked out briefly, tasting the air. While the mouth had been open, the dragon had flashed two long rows of razor sharp teeth.

Serena's eyes soon softened as realization returned back to her. This dragon was just a hatchling, not yet being able to really put any harm to either Menoa or Serena. Heck, all Serena would have to do was speak a single word and Menoa would have that dragon dangling in her jaws. Serena pushed her knees out away from her, keeping her eyes stiffly on the dragon.

Serena had heard from the stories that you were supposed to touch the dragon in order to activate the bond. She had also heard that it caused an intense amount of pain to activate the bond with the dragon.

Serena tenativly reached out, her hand and arm shaking the slightest. She paused right before the dragon, scared the creature would snap her finger off. The dragon broke the little space between them and pressed her forehead against the palm of Serena's hand.

Instantly, the girl released a scream that could be heard from a long ways away. Her whole body writhed in intense pain as the liquid-fire took place, leaving her eyes clouded with pain. Menoa stood up instantly and crossed over to Serena, but was unable to get to the Rider due to a flying kick. Menoa was able to dodge it, but backed away, just to be safe.

Slowly, the pain reduced to a slight throbbing through every part of her body. She ached in places she didn't think could ache. Slowly, the pain faded away from every part of her body, except for her right hand. The hand she had touched the dragon with. Serena looked at the hand in slight dismay, questioning why it still ached like it did. She instantly found out the reason why.

On her hand, was the Gedwey Ignasia, or the mark of a Rider. Serena choked on thin air. She closed her fingers around her palm and looked at the dragon. The dragon had been waiting patiently for the pain to be put aside. When Serena's eyes finally landed upon the dragon, Serena could see the dragon perk up a little bit. The dragon moved toward Serena and rubbed against Serena's thigh.

Serena, expecting the pain to return, flinched at the touch. The pain didn't return, though, but the area was left tingling. Serena let out a small sigh of relief and reached out, motioning for the dragon to smell her hand. The dragon did so, then rubbed against the hand, obviously longing for attention. Anybody would be longing for attention if they had been trapped in an egg for the longest time.

..:Breathe my Fire::..

Derrington sifted a hand through his hair as Cology made his way to the Food Court. The dragon would drop him off, then proceed to their hunting mission in the woods. They would eat, pack, then leave. They would most likely be off the island at midday.

Derrington shifted in the saddle as Cology lowered his massive body to land. Derrington dropped off the dragon, landing heavily on his feet. He turned to Cology and gave the dragon a loving pat on the head. "Good luck on your hunt." He said as Cology lowered his head to Derrington's level.  
_Good luck on hunting down that plate of food. _The dragon replied teasingly before launching into the sky and flying off.

Derrington watched the powerful dragon go with shifty eyes. It always felt weird whenever Cology left. For the past year and a half, Cology had virtually never left his side, except to hunt, of course. Derrington turned on his heel and moved to an empty table, grabbing a plate of food on his way. There, he ate silently, taking his time. He wiped his chin with his napkin just as Cology arrived again.

Cology's wine-red scales obscured the sun for a moment while passing over Derrington and his table. When he landed, his red talons dug into the hearth, tearing up the ground from it's roots. His eyes darted to the sides like orbs, scanning the area surrounding them. Cology wasn't the biggest dragon on the island, but he was definitely larger than most. His head was the size of a horse, and his tail was as long as the width of the main hall in Eragon's Quarters.

Though he didn't admit it much, Derrington was proud to have Cology as his dragon. There were some dragons whom were just.. Well, simple. Like a murky brown color, or a simple blue. Cology not only had wine-red scales, but also talons. Unlike other dragons whom had white ivory talons other dragons had. Derrington stood and crossed over to Cology, resting his palm on the snout of the dragon. In return, Cology blew warm air in his face.

_Was the hunt succesful? _

_Very. I caught a large buck and a doe. Even after years of Elves, Dragons, Dwarves, Riders, and humans being here, they still don't know to watch not only the ground, but the sky. They never see you coming, as long as you keep your shadow hidden._

Derrington nodded and pulled his hand away. Red orbs looked back at him, only blinking once. Derrington chuckled and mounted Cology, sliding his feet into the stirrups just before the Dragon took off.

..::Breathe my Fire::..

Linnea had just finished eating and was now mounting Galzra. The green dragon shifted beneath her impatiently, obviously longing to take off. _Galzra, you make it twice as hard to mount when you continue to move around like that. _

Galzra hung his head, as if he were ashamed. _Sorry, master.._

Linnea laughed. Both of them Linnea had little control of what Galzra did now days, let alone have the authority of being called 'Master'. Unlike other animals, Galzra was no dog. He didn't like to obey, unless needed. He listened to few people, because to him, they were just toothpicks with legs. Galzra had been quite the new student, when he had first arrived. It was hard to get a hold of him, let alone make him listen.

Galzra had gotten better, but still had a tendancy of disobeying at times.

Linnea grasped the spike in front of her, the ivory horn cold to the touch. When he had first been born, they had been as thin as twigs on a tree. Now, they were as thick as the palm of her hand. _You're my big, beastly boy._

_Obviously. _Galzra replied, though, Linnea could feel through their mental link that he took much pride into the praise.

Linnea's eyes shifted to the side when a red blur caught her eye. She squinted, recognizing the figure atop the mighty red dragon. _Derrington. _Her brow furrowed in confusion. _Galzra, didn't you get in a fight with that dragon a few days ago?_

Galzra's eyes snapped to the direction Linnea was indicating. He studied the dragon before spotting the unique feature the dragon had obtained; red talons. _Red-talons-Cology. That's him. _

Linnea shifted uncomfortably. _Those are the two we're traveling with._

_WHAT? _Galzra flicked out his tongue in anger. _That dragon wouldn't mind his own dang buisness. I told him to back off, and when he didn't, I snapped at him._

_You do realize you knocked over the Elve's favorite tree during that fight, right? _Linnea questioned, amused. _Who knows how many more trees we'll end up wrecking in Alagaesia. People might not think we're to glorious after we're finished. _Linnea paused. _Didn't he best you?_

Galzra snorted, green=tinted flame jetting out from his nostrils as he did so. _The dragon may not look like much, but he's strong. _Galzra admitted with a shrug of his massive shoulders. _It was silly of me to lash out without putting thought into it, and he took advantage of that._

Linnea sniffed, _Aww.. My big boy's growing up! He's learning to admit his defeat._

Galzra let out a growl and curled his body into a dive as he landed heavily. He crouched so Linnea would avoid injuring herself when she landed.

Linnea landed in a crouch and instantly retreated into the depth of her cave. She gathered the items she would need: Clothing, snacks, her weapons, everything. Now that Galzra was bigger, he could carry items as if they weighed nothing. She would hardly have to worry about packing to much. She stuffed all her things into saddle bags and strapped them to Cology's molded saddle.

Usually, Linnea used the lighter, cloth saddle for moving around the island. It wasn't as heavy, and it was easier for Cology to manuever. But with this long trip over the ocean and them going to be trekking over the land of Alagaesia, Linnea didn't want to sit on that uncomfortable thing for hours at a time.

She hauled the items out of the cave and dropped them beside Galzra. Slowly, she added item after item, until Galzra held every item she needed. She tied the coin purse to her belt and shifted the sword and sheath at her side. She mounted the dragon for what seemed like the dozenth time that day, and strapped the straps to her legs.

* * *

This was pretty much just preparing for their flight. *finger twitches* And this killed my finger.

Remember, guys! It really helps me out when you leave a review!


	5. Chapter 5

Not much planned for this chapter. This is the last chapter I'll be able to post for a while, so you'd better enjoy it!

Omigod.. That was the longest week of my life! _No internet. _None. Nada. It was like.. Torture! Gah! Oh well;; I had a good Birthday.

Sorry this took sooo long to post! I've been busy.. Doing nothing. Kidding! I've actually been drawing. I always found it kind of frustrating, because I could never get it right. But now, it's really relaxing. It's kinda like how writing was for me.. I was good at it, but.. Well, I always found it frustrating because I could never get it right. But now, I love it! You see, people? Just because you may think you suck at something, doesn't mean you really do.. Yeah.. Anyways.. This chapter'll be short, because I am LAZY.

* * *

Serena pushed her legs out in front of her, wincing when her knees cracked. The dragon crawled on her lap, releasing a low tune that sounded like a hum. It was a similar sound to the one the egg had been creating rigth before it had hatched. Though, this one sounded less muffled.

Serena awkwardly layed a hand atop the dragon's triangular head. She leaned the back of her head against the wall. Only moments ago she had been well-energized and ready for the new day, but now she felt exhausted. The pain must have taken every ounce of energy from her body and limbs. She closed her eyes stiffly and focused on the humming coming from the dragon. It was both relaxing and calming, tossing her into a dream seemingly the moment she closed her eyes.

_Red. It was all she could see. It drenched the walls, it obscured her vision, it dripped like water from the ceiling. _  
_A few feet away from her stood a man dressed in black robes. In his hand, was a deadly blade. It was slightly longer than a typical dagger, but shorter than a sword. This item also dripped the red liquid._  
_That was when it came to her. The red wasn't just a color; but a liquid. It was blood. Her blood._  
_A small wimper escaped her lips as the man took a step towars her. She tried to lift her arms and wriggle her legs, but with no prevail. Her legs were like cold, hard stones. Unable to move, unable to operate for her._

_The man continued to move toward her, his stride inhuman. Though his face was mostly shadowed, Serena could see the smile that gripped his lips, sending thin laugh lines running up and down his face._  
_His eyes, though, were the scarriest part. They were black. Black as night. The only part that remained a different color were the whites of his eyes, and even they were more like an eggshell white. _  
_They reflected her face. Her face wasn't her own anymore. Yes, it was __**her**__. But it wasn't her. Her cheeks unnaturally hollow, and dark circles made her eyes appear shifty. _

_The man raised the dagger. Serena felt herself release another wimper, unable to voice any words._  
_This was it. She was done for._

Serena jerked awake, clutching her chest in horror. Her breaths came in ragged, short gasps, and her heart pounded so hard she swore it would burst out from her chest. She looked around her, swallowing air franticly.

There was no man. No blood dripping form the walls. Though, two pairs of eyes did look at her. One pair were large and innocent, obviously Menoa's. The other, were smaller, but still wide with curiousity. These ones, were the dragon's.

Serena choked on the air and pulled her knees toward her, cradling herself. "Just a dream.. Just a dream.."

Though, it felt like more than that. She could hear herself breathing, she could smell the cruel scent of death. She could see the man. Even worse, she could feel the pain she had been put through. It had felt real.

To real to be ignored.

Serena finally managed to calm her racing heart and slow her frantic breathing. She looked around, reminding herself that she was still in the Spine. Still in her home. And still on the floor. She released a breath she never realized she had been holding. She looked down at her lap, slightly surprised to find that the dragon was still sitting in her lap. Acrossed the room, a few feet away, sat Menoa.

Serena sat up, and the dragon took the hint. The white figure slid away, it's thin nails clicking on the wood floor as it did so. Serena pushed off the ground, leaning against the wall for support. After a moment of pushing past her sudden head rush, she shuffled toward the cupboard; which held food.

She glanced at Menoa as she pulled out some meat. Instantly, the tiger's ears pricked. Serena released a low chuckle, but her mind was still thinking about the dream she had just witnessed. She ran a hand through her wavy hair, which now had a few tangles due to the lack of care.

She pulled out a bowl, then hesitated. Slowly, she turned to the dragon, who was sitting slightly in front of Menoa, but a few feet to the side. "You're probably hungry, too.." She mumbled with a low sigh.

After feeding herself and the animals, Serena shuffled out into the clearing in front of her home. She was followed by her two compainions. That was not much of a surprise, though.

Due to the sunlight streaming through the trees from yesterday, most of the snow was gone. Just slush and shallow pools of water. Serena's nose wrinkled in disgust. Her dry and warm feet would soon be cold and wet.

She trudged acrossed the slush and puddles to the tiny stable she owned. There, she cared for her one mare she owned. After that, Serena simply walked around the area and cared for the place. There wasn't much she could do, because it could always snow again, but she still picked up broken sticks and placed them out in the sun to draw. She chopped firewood, and cleaned her saddle and bridle. She was working hard to get her mind off of the recent events. But it was quite difficult to do so when the reminder kept followed her everywhere she went.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey guys. Just a quick update telling you guys my plans, and some concerns I have.

I just recently realized that I am not getting as many reviews as I would like. There have been a few favorites and followers, but I would still like to know what you guys think of my writing and such, and if you want me to keep this going.  
So.. If I do not get a few more reviews after this short chapter, I will probably not feel the urge to post anymore. What's the point in posting if nobody likes my writing or ever gives reviews? Show me that you guys still want this going on, otherwise I'll end it.

**I do not own Inheritance Cycle, or the original characters from the books.  
That belongs to the wonderful Christopher Paolini**

* * *

The three pairs of Riders prepared and mounted their dragons. It was early in the morning, and time for them to head out.

Celyn was the first to speak, "Are we ready?" He asked as he tied himself into the saddle.

Derrington glanced at the girl, Linnea. "I am." He stated, looking patiently at the female Rider for her to give the 'I'm ready'.

Linnea felt the two pairs of eyes land on her. She just merely nodded, and Galzra took off as soon as she did so.

..::Breath my Fire::..

The three Riders and their dragons took off over the sea. When carrying a large load, it took only about a day to get to Alagaesia. But with the light load they were carrying, and each of the dragons being large, therefore faster, it would only take about half a day.

And so, the Riders traveled silently over the ocean. The only real conversation happening was between the Riders and their dragons, not between the Rider's themselves.

* * *

Sorry for such a short chapter, but I really don't have the muse to write, considering I feel you guys don't like my writing. :( Anyways, leave a review, and I'll keep writing for this. Longer chapters. (:


	7. Chapter 7

Serena walked through the trees silently, her white cloak flooding after her. She could hear the sound of sot footsteps behind her.

Ever since she had become a Rider, which was aproximately 6 days ago, she'd had to make some adjustments to what she wore and how she acted. That included wearing fingerless gloves on both hands. If anybody asked about them, she would simply tell them it made holding the reins easier and more efficient. As for how she acted.. She made sure that she only went in town if she absolutely needed it, and when she did go, she stayed away from everybody.

She lengthened her stride as she peered over her shoulder. It was a habit of doing so. She always looked behind her, because she knew that there were people looking for her. Still. She remembered when she had stayed in Carvahall for a week. Even though it was a large distance from Dras Leona, there had still been rewards hung up for any information on her.  
It was only her two followers, the dragon and Menoa.

Even though she had had the white dragon for only a few days, the creature was now half the size of Menoa. Not only had it gained in height, but she had lengthened and thinned out. Serena had seen many paintings of large, powerful dragons. Her dragon hardly matched those. It was so much thinner and taller than it should be at this age. Serena had first thought that she wasn't feeding it enough, but she soon learned that the dragon was simply just a rather thin creature.

Serena had also began calling the dragon 'Alyss'. It seemed to fit the small creature. Serena had also learned that the dragon couldn't speak through voice, but through mind. The dragon knew words, but very few. So the creature instead showed images to describe things.

After much struggling, Serena also found that the dragon was indeed a female.

Serena sighed softly as a warm breeze pushed through her brunette waves. Her blue eyes looked through the treetops brightly as they emerged into a clearing. She stopped and crouched beside Alyss. Gently, she took Alyss's chin in her hand. Serena had first been intimidated by the dragon, but now, she was family. Just like Menoa.

"I promised I would let you fly, and it's time now." She said as she stood and brushed her hands off on her tights. "Stay low, near the trees." She said, motioning to the trees surrounding them. Serena hadn't allowed Alyss much freedom. It wasn't that she was ashamed of being a Rider.. But she didn't want to be plucked from her home and shipped off to Vroengard. From what she knew, Nasauda knew of every Rider that was sent to Vroengard. It wouldn't be more than a heartbeat before Nasauda was ordering her way into getting Serena to return to her.

Serena took a step back, giving Alyss room. She smiled warmly as the white dragon unfurled her wings, crouched, then sprang into the air. Her long, powerful wings beat only twice for her to rise just over the tree tops. After a second of getting used to the feel of the wind and climate above the treetops, Alyss shot away.

Serena followed Alyss at a sprint. Her long legs stretched out with every stride, sending her flying forward. She kept her eyes trained on Alyss, only looking down every now and then to avoid crashing into any trees. She watched the dragon- her dragon, in amazement. She knew dragons were fast, but Alyss seemed impossibly fast. After a few minutes of following the dragon, Serena was forced to slow to a walk. Her chest rose and fell as she continued to follow her dragon at a much slower pace.

It was truly an amazing sight, seeing a young dragon fly like that. Serena's attention was so focused on Alyss, she hardly noticed Menoa trotting at her side. Serena's boot caught in a root, causing her to tumble forward. She let out a small yelp when she landed hard on her side, but the yelp was followed by laughter. Alyss landed beside her not a heartbeat later.

Serena could feel the excitement coming like waves off of the dragon's mind. Alyss had made small soars from tree to tree, but Serena hadn't quite trusted her to know how to avoid being seen by other eyes. So, Seri hadn't really allowed Alyss much freedom.

Now Serena's life was all a secret. She ran away from riches and wealth to find her father, which never happened. She stole for the homeless people on the street. She stole Menoa from her owners. And now, she was a dragon Rider. Serena rolled onto her back and stared absently through the treetops.

Serena grunted in both pain and surprise when Menoa layed her head on Serena's stomach. Serena gently thumbed the Bengal's ear as her eyes moved to the trees at her side. The bush rustled.

Within half a second, Serena was at her feet and drawing two swords at her sides. Serena preferred these swords over the two-handed swords. They were both slightly shorter than typical swords, but also twice as deadly. Without even looking at Alyss, the dragon knew to get out of the area. The dragon took a few steps out of the view of the bush and took off. Leaving Menoa and Serena on their own.

A figure stepped out of the bush. The person was female, and had curly brown hair. Her eyes were an odd grey-blue. After her stepped out the werecat, Solembum. Serena gaped at the person.

"A-Angela..?" She murmured, keeping her hands on the helm of the sword, giving no sign in lowering the weapons. Beside her, Menoa let out a low growl.

"Lower your weapons, child." Angela said as she strode to the girl.

Serena did as she was told and lowered the weapons, but kept them at hand. She shifted her stance so her leg brushed against Menoa's flank.. "Shh.." Serena murmured softly as she eyed Angela suspiciously. "What are you doing here? I thought you had things to take care of for Nasauda in Dras Leona."

Angela stopped a few feet in front of Serena. "I do. This is my quest for right now." Serena looked at the Witch with confused eyes. Soon enough, realization came over her. Angela was searching for her. Nasauda still hadn't given up.

Serena cleared her throat. "I'm not going with you, if that's what you think."

Angela smiled. As a child, Serena had always been frightened by the Witch's smile. She had heard stories about how crazy this lady was at times. "Young Seri.." She paused to look over the young Rider. "You have grown much since you left years ago. You're stronger; more stubborn. Tell me- Have you yet found your dear father, Murtagh?"

Serena's eyes flickered at the mention of her father. As far as she knew, the older Rider had no knowledge concerning he had not one, but two children with Nasauda. Serena had gone out to find him, but he was never found. She had given up after two years of searching. She shrugged absently.

Angela this time frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. You were quite.. Poised on finding him." She said, nodding briefly. "Now, why do you have any reason of worrying your mother anymore? She's thought about you everyday, and your brother's changed a lot after you left. It's hard for her knowing that there's a chance that there's a chance you might still be alive."

Serena shifted her stance, preparing the words in her head. "It seems selfish, but I was never looked at like I would have wished. I was looked at as the petite Princess of Alagaesia. Nasauda didn't understand. She was one of them. She didn't want anything to happen to her precious daughter." She pushed her swords into their sheaths. "Yet, my brother had more freedom than anybody I've ever known. He could wander Alagaesia and everybody would hardly give him a second thought. If I took a single step out of the gates of Dras Leona, I had guards reporting to Nasauda from everywhere." She said darkly.

"It wasn't fair. And no matter how many times I told Nasauda, she would simply ignore me and tell me to get ready for supper." Serena said, breathing hard from raising her voice and talking so fast. "I was so _sick _and _tired _of the gowns worth more than a typical farmer would make in a lifetime. I was _tired _of being expected to be the perfect little Princess that I am _not!"_

Serena placed her hands on the back of her head and circled the area, calming herself. Angela said nothing, just watched her. When Serena said nothing more, Angela finally spoke.

"Serena.. I myself don't know where you are coming from, but from the sounds of it, Nasauda should know. Ajihad wouldn't allow Nasauda the freedom the young lady of the Varden longed for, and to her, it was far from fair." Angela said, and raised a finger. "Though, you must know, your mother means well. She loves you, Seri, and simply doesn't want anything to happen to you."

Serena slumped against a tree, and Menoa layed down so half her body was on Serena's legs, straddling them. Serena just stared blankly through the trees.

"Would it do harm for you to at least notify Nasauda that you're alive? She's half-dead every day because she lost her child."

Serena glared at Angela. "Fine. You tell her I am alive and well. Tell her I am having the time of my life, and that there is nobody keeping my freedom in a box anymore. Tell her.." She paused to gain her thoughts, "_I don't want to be found."_

At that, Angela's eyes darkened the slightest. "I will pass the message on." She said, and turned. "Good luck, young Seri. Make sure you keep that your dragon of yours away from any humans. The second they see a dragon, they'll be all over you and the hatchling." She said and walked away.

Serena watched her leave and stood, having Menoa stand at her side. A moment after Angela left, Alyss returned. The two creatures looked up at her innocently.

"What?" She asked, even though she knew they wouldn't really understand.

But Alyss did.

_Why did you do that?_

Serena looked at the dragon in surprise. "Because I don't wish to return to my old life."

_So. __Nas would want to see you.  
_

Serena just shook her head and walked away, back to her cottage.

* * *

Celyn rose out of the saddle when Vrang landed. He landed lightly beside the silver dragon, and looked at the wide eyes and gawking mouths surrounding him and the other two Riders. Some of them even stepped forward, trying to get a closer view of the dragons. They all ran off, though, when Vrang took a step towards them.

Celyn chuckled softly. _Well that wasn't nice. _

_Since when was I nice to humans? I love attention, but humans seem to stalk every dragon they see.  
_

_Hey, I'm still human.  
_

_Yeah, but that's different. You're my Rider. You have to follow me around.  
_

Celyn scoffed playfully, and pushed his shoulder against his silver dragon. Linnea and Derrington strode up to him, keeping a good foot or two between them.

"We might as well look around here. We should split up, and see if we find any clues regarding the mysterious dragon and Rider." Derrington said, stretching his stiff back as he did so.

Celyn shifted next to Vrang. "Vrang and I will take the Spine." He said, and before they could disagree, he mounted the dragon.

Only another few seconds was taken to figure out whom was taking which town. Linnea was taking Therinsford, and Derrington was taking Carvahall. They were all going to meet up in Therinsford before night.

With that, Vrang took off. With a sharp turn, they entered the Spine. Vrang flew low so they could see down into the trees, but he couldn't go any lower than the tree tops, in fear of clipping his wings on one of the trees.

Vrang landed in a clearing. _You search on the ground. I'll keep to the sky.  
_

Celyn gave a small wave in farewell and began walking quickly through the trees. He kept his eyes peeled for any signs of the dragon, or any recent footsteps. Even though the war was over, people still hardly went into the Spine. Urgals still raided this area.

An hour of searching went by. Celyn hadn't found anything regarding a dragon or human lived in the area. Suddenly, and unusual print caught his eye. He had seen multiple deer and rabbit tracks, but this was much larger than that.

He crouched beside the print. He ran his finger along the dip in which the creature had made. It obviously wasn't a smaller animal, based off the size of the print and how deep it was. It was massive, bigger than Celyn's hand, even when his fingers were spread out. It resembled a house cat print. But much, much larger.

Celyn looked around the surrounding area for more tracks. There. Two pairs of boots had walked over this area over the last few days. Celyn looked around some more. His eyes widened at the sight. There were a few dents in the ground, just a few meters away from where he had found the other prints. These were what dragons made when they took off. A small smile gripped his face. There was definitely a dragon and Rider in the area.

Suddenly, Celyn spun around at the sound of heavy footsteps. He drew his sword, but it was to late. The figure had crashed into him. A fowl smell clogged his senses, and it took all he had not to gag. Urgals.

With a single hand, the Urgal pinned his hands down at his sides. The Rider struggled greatly, fighting to get free. But the Urgal's weight was heavy. The urgal used his free hand to pull out his dagger.

Celyn screamed at Vrang with his mind and writhed under the weight of the Urgal. But Vrang wasn't fast enough, and Celyn wasn't big enough. There were few Riders his age that could be of any match to a Urgal.

Celyn met the cruel eyes of the Urgal as he lowered the dagger close to his throat.

Suddenly, the weight of the Urgal was relieved off of him. He scrambled away, bringing himself to his feet, snatching his sword. But.. There was already a person dueling the Urgal.

It was a young girl with long, wavy brunette hair. She was slightly taller than the average female, and with a thin, petite build. He gawked at her in surprise.

She placed her hands on the Urgals horns and wrapped her legs around the stomach of the Urgal as the fowl creature stood. The Urgal lashed out blindly, but the girl obviously knew that she was safe from his blows. He could see the muscles in her legs tighten, showing that she was squeezing the air out of the Urgal. The Urgal's lashes became sharper and more desperate.

The girl unwrapped her legs from the Urgal's stomach and kicked off. In midair, she flipped easily to land on her feet. She landed out in a crouch and drew out two swords. She smiled devilishly at the Urgal as he lunged forward. Not bothering to stand, the girl sidestepped and used the flat of her sword to whack at the Urgal's knees. The legs of the creature buckled from beneath him, sending him crashing to the ground.

The girl stood and pushed her boot onto the chest of the urgal and pointed the tip of her right sword at the Urgal's exposed throat. The Urgal's eyes widened, and he made no movements.

"Should I kill you, like you almost killed him?" The girl made a motion in Celyn's direction. Celyn froze. Her voice was angelic and smooth, confident and hypnotizing. The Urgal shook his head fiercly. With that, she stepped off him and allowed him to get up. As soon as he was up, the Urgal ran off.

The girl slowly turned, and Celyn's breath caught at the sight of her eyes. They were mesmerizing. They were an electric blue with darker blue flecks. He had never seen anything more beautiful.

She was all dressed in white, with a white cloak draped across her shoulders and white, fingerless leather gloves. A thin, white band was across her forehead and ending at the back of her head.

"You know, it isn't smart to walk around the Spine without a companion." She said, placing a hand on her hip as she slid her swords into her sheath.

Celyn's mouth opened to say something. He took a deep breath and shrugged. "I'm looking for a Rider and a dragon.. Have you seen anything suspicious?" He asked, pushing past the subject of how he had failed at defeating an Urgal. And a simple girl had done it for him.

The girl didn't say anything, just smiled and tilted her head. "I'm afraid I havn't." She said, and shifted her stance. "Though, I do suggest you go check out the Varden's old place. I've heard something's over there." She said with a small shrug. "That's probably your best guess." She took a step toward him. "What do you know of this Rider and Dragon?"

"Very little. Our carriers lost the egg while trying to get to Du Welvarden, and were unable to find it." He shrugged. "Which most likely means it hatched."


	8. Chapter 8

Special thanks to all my fans. You guys are the only reason that I continue writing this story. You guys make me feel like my writing doesn't suck..

You know.. I've kinda been wondering what your guys' favorite OC character is. If you have time, why don't you leave me a review including who your favorite OC character is? Linnea, Celyn, Serena, or Derrington? If you like, you can also chose which dragon or animal thing you like best. It's between Galzra, Vrang, Cology, Alyss, and Menoa. I mainly want the human characters, but you can go ahead and add creature, too.

**I do not own Inheritance Cycle or the characters.**

**Those belong to Christopher Paolini. Sadly.**

* * *

The girl merely nodded, her expression remaining unchanged. Her eyes fell on his hand. She reached forward and took the hand, inspecting it. Celyn looked down to realize he had a small gash on the palm of his had, obviously from when he had fallen.

"You're hurt." She said quietly and released his hand. "Come with me, we'll get it all fixed up."

He opened his mouth to say that he could simply use magic, but no words came out. He was quite curious of this mysterious girl. She had just defeated a creature twice her size, and had come out of the battle with hardly a scratch. He smiled faintly, and replied with something different, "My mom always told me not to trust strangers."

The girl looked up and smiled boldly at him, flashing perfectly white teeth at him. "I'm Serena, but you can call me Seri."

"Celyn."

"We're not strangers anymore, now are we?"

Celyn couldn't help it, he laughed. She turned and motioned for him to follow her. He did so, and closed his fingers over the wound to keep it from bleeding all over the forest floor. It was a short walk from the clearing to a small cottage. It wasn't anything big, just something that maybe one or two people could live in.

Or in this case, a dragon, tiger, and a Rider.

…

Serena pushed the door open with her knee and strode in, instantly retreating to one of the supply closets. She pulled out some white rags and motioned for Celyn to sit down. She took a bowl of water and set it on the table. She slid into a chair across from him. She could tell by the shallow look on his face he was nervous.

She gave him a warm smile to him. "Don't worry. There's really no way I can poison you with just rags and water." With that, he chuckled and gave her his hand.

Her gentle movements washed away the blood and dirt until the wound was clean. All the while, Celyn watched her face. She didn't look up once as the cleaned and bandaged his wound. Even when she stood to wash her hands on a damp towel she didn't look at him.

Celyn jumped when he heard claws clicking on the wood floors. _Dragon? _He turned to the direction of the noise, only to find a large, white striped cat standing there. Tiger. The creature released a low growl.

Serena looked up and smiled. "Menoa.. Relax, girl." She said and crossed over to the tiger. She crouched beside the cat and gave her a gentle rub on the head.

Celyn watched her in surprise. He was half-expecting the tiger to snap at her, or even bite her. But the creature only leaned against the touch, her large eyes training on Celyn. "You.. Have a tiger.." He said, disbelief filling his voice.

Serena turned and looked at him. She shrugged. She didn't really want to explain how she had stolen her from her original owners. Menoa had been being neglected, though. Was she just supposed to stand by and watch it happen? She had meant to get rid of her as soon as the tiger could take care of herself, but she grew attached to her, so the separation was never made.

Celyn merely nodded, surprise still reflecting in his brown eyes. "That's nice." He managed to say. "Well, I best be going off. It was nice to meet you. And.." He paused as he crossed over to the door. "Thanks for saving me and fixing me up. If I ever see you again, I'll owe you one."

Serena gave a small wave of farewell and began washing up the blood that had dried on the table. She didn't give him another look. _Alyss, he's gone now. _ She said with her mind and opened her bedroom door. Alyss bounded out of the room, her amethyst eyes looking over the area thoroughly. _Good. If he had tried anything, I was ready to push that door down._

Serena laughed and pulled out some meat from the cabinet. Both Menoa and Alyss looked at her expectantly. Serena shook her head and took a bite of the peppered meat. "Nuh uh. You guys know how to hunt." Serena said and popped the last piece into her mouth. She crossed over to the door and pushed it open, motioning for them to go. Alyss took a step forward, then stopped at the doorway. Her amethyst eyes were trained upward, on something either in the sky or the treetops.

Serena looked up. Her jaw tightened at the sight. Two dragons, one red, and the other silver, streaked across the sky. Quickly, Serena ushered Alyss in and shut the door. She peered out the window, and let out a small sigh of relief when she saw them disappear in the distance.

She ran a hand through her brunette waves. Her blue eyes flashed over to the window again, and still saw no sign of the dragons. Just to be sure, she stepped outside and made a circle in search of the dragons. Seeing nothing, she walked back to the door and propped it open for her two white creatures to step out. They both did, with Alyss taking the lead.

Serena was tempted to follow them, but she knew better. Even if she was nimble and quiet enough, she would still scare a lot of meals away with her boots. So instead, she went inside and flopped down on her bed. She looked at her hands, which were still faintly pink from the blood she had washed off of the boy. She hadn't seen his other hand, but for some reason, she had a feeling he wasn't just a human. A Rider.

What if he was a Rider? A Rider than had just been in her house? A Rider whom had just gained the knowledge of knowing where she _lived. _Serena cursed softly and placed the heels of her hands on her eyes, blocking out any light. Including the light that managed to seep through her eye lids.

Her question was- why hadn't he done much to defend himself? He was a Rider, and if one of those had been his dragons, he had obviously been a dragon for a good year or so. Maybe even two years. Urgals were tough, but if a ninety pound girl was able to take one down, he should have been able to.

Serena sighed and pulled the covers over her shoulder and tucked them under her chin. She ran the soft fabric along the surface of her chin, curving her hands against the shape of her chin. Before she knew it, she was fast asleep.

* * *

Celyn entered the inn where he was supposed to meet Linnea, with Derrington right behind him. Celyn quickly spotted Linnea and walked over to her table. Instantly, she noticed his wrapped hand.

"What happened?" Linnea said, eyes glued on Serena's handy work. "I leave you alone for a few hours and _this _happens."

Celyn chuckled and slid into the seat across from Linnea. "Relax, Nea." Celyn had been calling Linnea 'Nea' from the moment they both realized they had a special 'connection'. Even when they were close, Celyn felt nothing for her, other than friendship. Linnea was nice and all, but not Celyn's type. Celyn liked a little less independent girl. He likes to feel needed, and although Linnea may need him at times, it's never in the way he would actually want. So, they kept their friendship professional.

"I just fell, that's all." He said with a shrug.

"Then why didn't you just heal it with magic?"

Celyn shrugged. "I feel that I depend on magic a little to much.."

Linnea scoffed, "A girl offered to patch it up, didn't she?"

Celyn looked in Linnea in slight surprise. She sure knew him well, that was for sure. A small grin proved her theory right.

"You can't be messing with girls, Celyn.. Even if they offer to help you, you have to refuse. You know we're not going to be here long, and the last thing we need is another little human tagging along with us while we're in Alagaesia."

Celyn placed his hands up in his defense. "I can't help it, Nea. I'm simply just a ladies' man." He paused to flash a cocky smile. "And actually, this girl not only saved me, but also took down an Urgal."

Linnea looked at Celyn with doubtful eyes. "Show me."

Celyn opened his mind to both Linnea and Derrington. He replayed the memory of her fighting the Urgal, to her snide comment about not being strangers anymore, to their departure."

Derrington smirked. "She's a pretty little thing. I don't see why she even took the time to pull that Urgal off of you."

Celyn scoffed, and Linnea let out a small giggle. Derrington hadn't said much, so it was slightly surprising to find he was cracking a joke. "Look who's talking." Celyn retorted.

Derrington lifted a plate and gazed at it, his reflection showing up almost perfectly on the smooth glass. He stroked his chin. "Perfection."

At this, both Celyn and Linnea laughed. A few eyes moved to their direction, a small grin breaking their grim faces. Celyn agreed with Derrington- the girl had been pretty. Almost.. Elven. But if she had been Elven, she could have just squeezed the Urgal harder with her legs and cracked a few ribs. So, he was just somewhat doubtful that she was an elf, but a powerful human girl.

Linnea leaned forward. "So.. Are we going to keep discussing this girl, or are we going to figure out what to do next?"

Derrington's eyes flashed to Linnea. "Somebody seems a little jealous.." He commented with a playful smile before saying, "I think we should move on. It might just be our best bet to spread out.." He said with a small shrug.

Celyn stayed quietly, thinking about what Derrington had just said. It would be quicker to just spread out over Alagaesia, but what if they ran into trouble? He sighed softly, "I think he's right. We might run into danger, though. That's what I'm worried about."

Linnea nodded in agreement. "Alright. Galzra and I will head to Ellesmere and look on the way there, Derrington and Cology can take the Hadarac desert and the Furthen Dur ruins. Celyn, you can look between the coast and the Ramr river." Her green eyes landed on Celyn. "I'm trusting you won't go and waste your time with the girl..?"

It was in the form of a question, but Celyn knew very well it was a threat. He merely nodded. He wasn't going to make any promises, though. He would look over the area for most of the time, and maybe pay her a little farewell good bye.

Derrington seemed to catch the look in his eye. _Celyn.. I understand she saved you, but you really need to focus. The last thing we need is another Galbatorix. Just focus on getting this Rider, okay? _

Celyn didn't look at Derrington when he answered. _I won't be visiting her while I'm looking. _He promised, carefully selecting his words so he could work around the promise.

"When should we meet?" Celyn asked, leaning back in the chair.

"Is a month good? We'll meet as Dras Leona."

Celyn answered by giving a thumbs up and standing. "I'm going to move on to Ceunon. There's still a bit of light, and Vrang's seemed pretty fidgety lately."

Derrington both gave Celyn a small wave. Celyn exited the Inn, only to find Vrang surrounded by a bunch of villagers. Celyn could tell by the look on the silver dragon's look that he was enjoying all the attention. Celyn chuckled and pushed through the crowd, not hesitating to prepare to mount the dragon.

But somebody grabbed him by the arm. He turned to face the owner of the arm. It was a middle-aged lady, with sandy-blonde hair. Her eyes were tired from the obvious lack of sleep and stress. "Please, young Rider, I am practically on my knees right now. My daughter, she is very ill. All the village's healers are unable to heal her. Please do me some kindness and help her.." The lady begged, her grip tightening around his arm. Out of the corner of his eye, Celyn saw one of the guards take a step in his direction.

Celyn pursed his lips, then merely nodded. He wasn't really on a time limit, and Vrang could fly pretty fast. They would easily be in Ceunon before night."

The lady's face seemed to brighten a bit as she turned and led him down the street, her grip on his arm loosening slightly. They soon came to a small house on the corner. It was small, but cozy. A sweet scent took over Celyn as he entered the home, which smelled faintly of pine and lavender.

Quickly, he spotted a young girl on a cot. A damp rag had been placed on her forehead and a thin sheet was draped over her body. Across the room stood another young girl, this one being obviously younger than the other whom was ill. She was hovering over a water bucket, washing some rags. The girl washing the rags dropped them in the bucket and rushed over to her mother.

"Her temperature keeps rising." She mumbled, paying no attention to Celyn. Celyn hadn't done it on purpose, but he could feel her thoughts. She was assuming he was just another Healer that would tell them bad news. Celyn looked at the lady with a soft look.

"May I?" He asked, dipping his head toward the girl. The lady nodded vigorously. She leaned down and murmured something in the younger's ear, and Celyn could see the slight surprise reflect in her eyes.

Celyn crossed over to the cot and leaned down, balancing his weight on one knee. He looked over her quietly and pressed his hand to her forehead. "Do you know what's wrong? What symptoms has she been having?"

"No. She went into the trees a few days ago, and didn't return. We had people searching for her the next day, and when we found her, she was unconscious. She has a few visible cuts and bruises, but the Healers said there was no damage to the head, so her only reason for being unconscious was because.." Her voice broke, and it took a few moments before she continued, "They said that somebody intentionally did this to her. With magic."

Celyn listened intently, his frown deepening. All magicians were held under Nasauda's watch, and were constantly under supervision. As far as they all knew, there was no stray magician, excluding the Riders who had finished training, of course. But most of them had moved up the ruins of Furthen Dur or to the island, Uden and the other surrounding islands. He ran a hand through his hair and gently touched her mind. He sifted through her memories as softly as he could.

_My fingers were gently curved around the handle of the basket as I dropped every berry in there. Mother had promised me a fresh, blue berry pie If I went and picked the strawberries._

Celyn pushed past the unimportant memory and stopped a few minutes later.

_Suddenly, I was on the ground, the basket dropping from my fingers. I could feel a few thorns piercing my skin, but that was the least of my pain. I let out a scream of both terror and pain. My insides turned to stone, stopping my pumping heart and breathing. Yet- I was still alive. I tried desperately to move, but my limbs were no longer in my control. _

_When I looked up, there was a pale face hovering over me. "Help me.." I whispered, then realized something. He was the one doing this to me. He was causing me this unnecessary pain. A cruel smile appeared on the man's lips. I recognized the smile. I had seen it before in paintings and books. A cloaked figure standing in front of an entire army, his arms up and directing the soldiers. _

_Only, the smile wasn't exactly the same.. It was different. But I still knew this man wasn't human. Or Dwarven or an Urgal. Or even Elven. But a Shade._

That was the last thing Celyn saw before she blacked out. Celyn shivered and pulled out of her mind. He shakily stood and took a deep breath, trying his best to remain calm. He turned to the lady, whom was holding her other daughter in her arms as she watched Celyn with owl eyes.

"The healers were right. This was done intentionally with magic." He began slowly, burying his hands in the shadows of his pockets. "By a Shade."

The two remained silent for a long few minutes. "Can it be fixed?" The young girl asked, unhappiness reflecting in her eyes.

Celyn merely shrugged. "I can try, but this might be beyond even my power.." With that, he crouched again and went to work, quietly chanting the words of the ancient language to build up the magic. He could feel the magic stir inside of him as the words slipped from his mouth and filled the air with his voice. He could feel the two pairs of eyes on the back of his neck, but he ignored them.

Finally, he released the spell. He could feel the magic slip out of his fingertips as he held his hand over her, the air filling with a silver tint. He shuddered, and stood, surprised to find the girl's wide eyes looking up at him.

"Mom.." She croaked, and the woman rushed forward and pulled the girl into her arms. Celyn took a step back to give them peace. He turned to leave, when the woman spoke,

"Wait. What do I owe you?"

Celyn waved her off, indicating she owed him nothing. But he still heard her gentle voice fill the air.

"Then I will give you my blessing, Rider." She said, then paused to gather her words. "I give you the blessing of love. Somewhere up ahead, there is a lovely woman awaiting for you. One who will give you everything you deserve, and will only see the best of you."

Celyn smiled faintly and murmured a thank you before stepping out. He was slightly shakey from the amount of energy the spell had taken, but he was easily able to make it to Vrang, whom was in the same spot. He mounted the now crouching dragon. "Let's go."

* * *

Lol.. Sorry guys, I'm focusing a lot on Celyn and Serena. They're both kind of big characters in this, so bare with me. I plan on making a sequel to this, and it will include more of Derrington and Linnea. But that's a long way from now..

Well, please review, and don't forget to say who your favorite character is! ;)


	9. Chapter 9

Wow. All I want to do is lay down and sleep for 7 months until school is done. Or, at least a month or two until Volleyball's over. Anywho..

I asked for reviews, and guess what I got? REVIEWS! Thanks for all of them- I do appreciate and read every last one. You guys have no idea how much pride I take into reading them. 3

I asked you guys who your favorite character was.. And Serena won. I was slightly surprised. She's like one of those crazy rogues who steal for the poor.. Or was that Robin Hood.. Lol. One user even said that she liked Serena cuz she had a 'freakin tiger'. Lol.

Though, I do really enjoy writing about her. She's so.. I dunno.. Independent. I am quite proud of her history and appearance. So I guess she is kinda my favorite.. And I like her tiger.

**I do not own Inhertiance Cycle. **

**Christopher Paolini does. Sadly.**

…./

Serena's blue eyes fluttered open, staring into Alyss's amethyst eyes. It had been six days since she had saved that guy from that Urgal. Since then, nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Usually Serena would have been thankful that she was returning to her life before he had come. But right now, Serena longed for more adventure.

Nothing every seemed to happen unless you lived where there were more than just birds and squirrels.

Serena rubbed her eyes and sat up. She looked at Alyss. No, looked _up _at Alyss. She frowned when she realized how tall Alyss was. She sat up, using the trunk of the tree to hoist her bodyweight upward. Alyss easily towered over her, as tall as the horse Serena kept in her stable.

Serena took Alyss's chin in her hand and pressed her forehead against the dragon's forehead. _My girl has grown so big and strong. _

Alyss's tail flicked. _I have to. You need to be able to ride me if we're going to leave anytime soon._

Serena frowned again and took a step back. She had mentioned a few days ago the Spine was no longer a suitable home. Alyss's hunger would grow, and people would begin to notice the lack of food. Plus, Alyss was now not as easily mistaken as a bird. Serena had went into town and heard gossip about a white dragon. There was no other white dragon around, so it had to be Alyss.

"Give it another few weeks." She said and roughly patted Alyss's shoulder.

_Do you want to try?_

"Try what?" Serena replied as she gathered a basket filled with wild flowers and herbs. She knew very well what Alyss wanted.

_To fly. _

Serena glanced at Alyss, and realized the dragon was watching her carefully. "What's the rush?" Serena asked and hoisted her bag onto her shoulders.

_I felt you dreaming about it. I know you want to. _

Serena smiled and took a step to Alyss. She gently ran her hands along the dragon's wing membrane. The dragon hummed against her Rider's touch. "I know I want to, but I can't help but of thinking of all the things that could go wrong. I could fall off, somebody could see us because of the extra weight. There's a hundred different things that could go wrong, Alyss."

_Since when has that stopped you before?_

Serena remained silent for a long moment. It hadn't stopped her before. There were more than a thousand things that could have happened to her when she left Dras Leona, but nothing happened. The Urgal could have ended up killing her when she was saving Celyn, but it didn't happen.

"Fine. But not until tomorrow. I heard the story of how Eragon's thighs bled badly on his first flight, because Saphira's scales" She said, and gently pulled at one of Alyss's smooth scales. Alyss's scales were long and layed flat against her skin, leaving no ridges that would slow her when it came to flying. The very tips felt like a dull knife. Even a dull knife could cut through skin, though.

_Fair enough. I shall await for sunrise patiently. _

With that, Serena retreated to the stable. After digging around for a while, Serena found her old saddle. Well.. It wasn't old, she just didn't use it. She had gotten it about a year ago, but she hadn't ridden her horse that much. And she didn't feel ready to break into the new leather. With some careful work, it would make a nice temporary riding saddle. That is, until she learns how to make a proper one.

Serena worked silently. She gained a lot over the next few hours. With extra leather strips, she was able to add more length to the strap that goes around Alyss's belly, and made the chest pieces broader to fit Alyss' shoulders. She made a few holes so Alyss would have some growing room.

After checking to make sure the sizes were right for Alyss's height, weight, and of course width, Serena was sure the saddle was nearly complete.

She stepped back to admire her work. It was far from the best, but it would work. It didn't look that bad, either. Serena ran her hand along the black leather, feeling no bumps or dips that were out of place. That was how new saddles should be.

…

The next day, Serena awakened to a light touch to her mind. Only Alyss knew how to pass Serena's mind barriers and enter her mind like that. Serena's blue eyes fluttered open, staring down at the floor where Menoa was soundlessly sleeping. Serena smiled faintly, and as soon as she made a movement, the tiger sprang to her paws, round ears pricked with interest.

"Calm yourself, Menoa." She muttered as she pulled on her cloak and adjusted the circlet that kept her hair out of her face. When the Elves had come to visit, Serena had seen them wearing a bunch of bands across their heads. Later, she ended up purchasing one or two, and had been happy with them every since. They kept her hair out of her face, without the constant hastle to pulling her hair into some bun. It also worked good with her layered hair and bangs.

Serena slipped on her boots and stepped outside, shivering when a gust of cool wind blasted in her face. It was early in the morning, but the wind shouldn't be as cold as it was. She gathered the saddle she had adjusted yesterday and was slightly surprised to find Alyss patiently waiting. The dragon's white scales resembled pearls beneath a ball of fire, sending small white dots all over the area.

Serena walked over and placed the saddle on the dip between Alyss's shoulder blades and neck. Carefully, she strapped on each strap firmly, but not to tightly. She took a step back to admire her work. The black leather against Alyss's scales made both colors seemingly pop out more, which made Alyss all the more attractive.

With a light laugh, Serena used her finger to indicate for Alyss to 'twirl'. Alyss didn't move for a moment, obviously figuring out how to do so and what Serena met. After a short moment, the dragon snorted and moved around in a circle, the end of her tail twitching in slight annoyance. But Serena could feel the pride reflecting off the dragon's young mind.

_Are we going to fly, or do you plan on taking a picture, too?_

Serena laughed lightly and crossed over to Alyss. She stood at the dragon's tall side. Alyss was bigger than a horse, but only be a few inches and pounds. Serena placed her correct foot in the stirrups and hoisted herself up. She landed lightly in the seat and adjusted her feet so she balanced correctly on the stirrups. She then used the two hanging straps to lock herself in, and avoid falling.

"How does it feel? Are my weight and the saddle to much?" Serena asked carefully.

_You're kidding, right? You're what, ninety pounds? And the saddle doesn't even weigh half as much. _

Serena laughed softly and clutched the horn in front of her. Before she could even take a deep breath, Alyss crouched and took off. Serena let out a small gasp of surprise and clutched the horn so hard her knuckles turned white.

Alyss rose easily over the treetops, before curving her body upward and pumping her wings powerfully. With three strokes, she was hidden in the clouds. Serena recalled that only a week ago it had taken nearly a dozen pumps of her wings to rise into the clouds. But Serena could hardly think about that now. She had to focus on remaining in the saddle while Alyss continued to tilt her bodyweight like that.

Serena kept her eyes open, but it was like she couldn't see anything. She was so terrified that she hardly payed attention to the land rolling beneath the pair. Once Alyss leveled out, Serena relaxed the slightest. Her grip still remained firm, but her eyes were able to move down without her freaking out.

Her breaths returned to her normal rate, and Serena found herself enjoying herself. Alyss moved effortlessly, as if flying were like walking to humans. Sensing her Rider's unease, Alyss remained level. That is, until Serena spoke up.

"Kay girl.. I've seen you doing those flips and twists. Why don't you show me what you're made of?"

Alyss replied by locking her wings and curling her body into a dive. She was almost perfectly vertical as she raced down to the earth. She made sharp swerves and twists, and even included a few twirls. She felt her Rider's breath shake. Alyss flicked out her wings at the exact right moment. Her wings caught the wind instantly, sending her up a few good yards. Suddenly, Alyss's eyes drifted to the side.

As naturally as possible, Alyss rose back up the clouds. But she could tell by the way the figure moved that she had been spotted. Calmly, she touched Serena's mind. _We have company.. I'll loose them in the clouds._

With that, Alyss twisted sharply and continued deeper into the clouds. Though, she could feel the regret and fear rippling from Serena's mind. She rose out above the clouds so it'd bee easier to spot anything entering the clouds.

…..

Vrang's silver eyes moved to a white blur._ Celyn, _the dragon said, turning his body so Celyn would be able to see, _there's our target. It's to small of a dragon to be finished training._

_Then let's go. _Celyn rose into the saddle as Vrang rushed forward. But by the time they got there, the dragon had disappeared in the clouds. Unfortunately, the dragon was also white. White as snow. It'd be impossible to find it in there.

Celyn was just about to cast a spell to have the clouds part, when a movement caught his eye. The cloud in a certain area shifted slightly, showing that wind or air had moved it. Or in this case, the pump of a dragon's wings. Vrang saw it, too, and moved forward.

"All we want to do is talk.." Celyn called, scanning the clouds for any more sign of movement. He saw a figure dive from the clouds out of the corner of his eye. He cursed when he realized it was directly behind Vrang. "Behind you!" Celyn called.

Vrang reacted instantly by quickly turning around and rushing after the dragon. _This isn't like a dragon I've ever seen, Celyn. Instead of being built for strength, it's naturally thin and long. See the extra fold In her wings? Her wings are also longer than the average. She's built for speed, endurance, and agility._

Celyn pursed his lips. That meant that Vrang was stronger than I, but only if he could catch him. "Damn.." Celyn muttered and squinted. He could see a Rider figure on the dragon, but he couldn't tell if it was male or female. Heck, he couldn't even see any features. He or she had a cloak hood that hid the hair and features.

Celyn leaned forward in the saddle as Vrang pulled himself into a dive.

….

Serena didn't dare looked behind her. _Try going forward a bit then pulling up. As soon as they realize what you'd just done and try and react to it, we'll have time to retreat to the trees. You're a lot smaller than that dragon._

Doing as she was told, Alyss pushed herself forward a few feet to avoid crashing into the dragon. She flicked out her wings and caught the air, which sent her up a few feet. _Be ready. I'm going to get low enough to the ground for you to drop off. I'll be able to loose them easier without you on me._

_I thought you said I wasn't a burden to carry…?_

Alyss snorted, _Your weight? No. I just don't want you to fall off._

As soon as the silver dragon reacted, Alyss dove forward. But Serena was able to see the face of the Rider. She instantly became greatful that she had her hood up. It was Celyn. The boy who she had saved from the Urgal. He knew where she lived, and who she was. She tensed when Alyss crashed through the treetops and leveled out just above the ground. Serena jumped, and landed hard on her feet. She stumbled, wincing at the pain in her ankle. She heard a thump a few feet behind her.

She spun around and drew her swords, keeping her chin low to keep the shadows over her features. Celyn stood a few meters away, his hands up, indicating peace.

"I just want to speak with you.." He said and took a step forward. Serena took a step back. "Nobody's going to hurt you or your dragon."

Serena took a deep breath. She came up with a rough outline of a plan. It was rough, yes, but it might just work. She sighed softly and pushed her swords into her sheaths. As soon as Celyn relaxed, she bolted. She moved with ease through the trees, her arms pumping with every stride and movement she made. She could hear the pounding of feet, right on her tail.

Serena skidded to a stop when she heard a thunderous crash. Her eyes widened and moved to the direction it had come from. Before she knew it, Celyn slammed into her side. She let out a grunt, then a cry of pain when he landed on her. He used the moment to crouch over her and straddled her legs. He used a single arm to pin her arms above her head. She struggled and managed to pull her hands free, and then placed them on his chest and prepared to push him up when he pushed the hood of her cloak back. His expression was filled with both shock and surprise.

"I-I was in your house.. The way you took down that Urgal.. I should have known." Celyn murmured, his grip loosening on her. She bucked her hips and struggled, fighting to get free. He took each of her hands in each of his and pinned them at her sides.

Serena panted as she looked up at his face, which hovered only a few inches from hers. "Surprise, surprise.." She hissed through gritted teeth, wincing when his grip tightened. She stopped struggled to gaze into his eyes. His eyes softened, but his grip remained the same.

"I'm not sure if I should let you up, or just continue sitting on you." Celyn said, shifting his weight slightly. "I think I'll stay like this and let you explain yourself."

Serena snickered and shifted, flexing her hands that were pinned at her sides. "There's nothing to explain. Found the egg outside, it hatched. Found an Urgal about to kill you, saved you, then bandaged you up. Took a flight with my dragon, got chased, and am now being sat on by a Rider." She said, eyes looking coldly into his. "You owe me for saving you, so why don't we just let this little interaction slip from our minds, hmm?"

Suddenly, she bucked her hips, this time managing to pull free. Celyn reacted quickly by grasping her ankle and dragging her back, placing his hands on her shoulders. "No, no.." He said, as a parent would scold a young child.

Serena brought her hands up and placed them on her chest, pushing him up hard. Celyn found that his grip loosened on her when she pushed him up. She got free, and this time, Celyn wasn't fast enough to grab her again. He scrambled to his feet and rushed after her. He could tell by her slower gate that she was both tired and trying to regain her balance. He lunged, tackling her. He carefully placed an arm on her back to avoid having her get to badly injured. He landed with his knees on both sides of her, holding her petite body only inches off the ground. Her blue eyes looked unforgiving.

Celyn chuckled. He was enjoying himself oddly enough. _How's it going for you, Vrang?_

_Not so good.. This fae is smart, and knows how to stay out of sight. When I do spot her, she's to far away for me to even get close to. She's staying around the area, though, so it's obvious she's not leaving her Rider. And how goes I for you?_

_I am currently sitting on the Rider. _

Celyn knew Vrang had no reply when the dragon sealed away his mind. Celyn looked back down into the girl's eyes, finding her patiently waiting. She didn't at all look confused. _She must know about speaking through minds.. She might even be speaking to her dragon right now. _

When he opened his mouth to ask, he felt something press against his lips. When his eyes fluttered open, he found her blue eyes directly in front of him. She was kissing him. Without meaning to, his grip loosened and he shifted his weight to the side.

Before he could react, she pulled away and brought her knee up into his stomach. He grunted in pain and doubled over, coughing. He looked up, only to find her wriggling out from under him and standing. She scrambled away and stood, not bothering to draw her swords. He reached for her, but another wave of pain kept him down.

"There's one way of getting away from a guy that works every time," She said, and held up a finger, "Sudation." Serena didn't look at him for long before turning and bounding away quickly, leaving the older Rider doubled over on the ground.

Celyn muttered a spell that ended his pain and stood. He looked around with dismay. He had had her, right in his grasp. Soon, Vrang appeared.

_I lost her. As soon as she figured out her wasn't being chased anymore, she bolted. _

Celyn shrugged and brushed his hands together, watching the dirt fall to the ground.

"The Rider is Serena."

Vrang remained quiet for a long time, looking at Celyn with confused silver eyes. _Well then.. I think we best contact the others and notify them of this. _

Celyn nodded and shakily pulled out his scrying mirror. He stared blankly into the depths of it until the spell was released.

Linnea's face showed up in the mirror only a moment later. "What is it, Celyn? Did you find the Rider and dragon?"

"Yeah.."

"Show me!"

Celyn gave a small, innocent smile. "She got away, but I know who it was, and where she lives."

Linnea pressed a finger to her temple. "If you had her, how exactly did you loose her?" She asked, ignoring the statement that followed his words.

"She kissed me."

Linnea muttered something under her breath and leaned toward the mirror. "Okay.. So, who is it? Tell me what she looks like."

"You already know. It's Serena, the girl who saved me from the Urgals."

Linnea frowned so her brows furrowed. "Great, just great. Judging by that trick she pulled off on the Urgal, and how she seduced you by simply kissing you, she's both clever and powerful." Linnea muttered. "I'll tell Derrington and head back as soon as I can, but right now, you need to focus on catching her."

Celyn nodded and sighed when the screen went back. He strode to Vrang. "I sure hope you're energized, 'cuz we have a long and hard chase in front of us."

Vrang took off with ease, pumping his wings powerfully. _Which way did the girl go? I have a feeling that they'll make a fast stop by the house, then move on. If she has any sense, of course. She's sending us on a wild goose chase when we could just take her to Arya and decide what to do with her from there. She might have been able to even stay in Alagaesia if we looked hard enough to a mentor._

_How was she supposed to know that? Once you become an apprentice, all your freedoms are taken away. She probably doesn't want that._

Vrang snorted and swung his body in the direction of where Celyn had said the girl lived. Sure enough, shooting upward, a small white dragon shot through the sky and disappeared into the clouds. It amazed Celyn how fast the dragon moved, even with the added weight of her Rider.

Vrang darted forward, following behind the white dragon quickly. Vrang was faster than many dragons, but he wasn't built for speed like the other dragon was. That dragon was long, thin, tall, and had the extra fold in her wing. Celyn could also tell by the dragon's sharp look that she could reach speeds virtually unknown to many Riders.

Celyn stood in the saddle and leaned forward in the saddle and balanced on his toes. Vrang rushed through the clouds, only causing a moment of blindness. When they emerged above the clouds, Celyn could see a flick of movement somewhat ahead of them. Celyn squinted and managed to make out Serena's petite form. "Down there!" Celyn said.

Vrang tilted downward so he was right behind the dragon.

….

Serena's head whipped back. She looked at Celyn with teasing eyes. _Catch me if you can… _Serena laughed at his reaction and looked ahead. "Let's go.." She murmured softly to Alyss, and shifted in the saddle, clutching the saddle horn tightly.

Alyss tossed her head and shot forward, her wings pumping powerfully. She curved her body into a dive and moved just below the clouds, shifting her wings expertly. She lashed her tail out to the side to make her body verve faster. She flew hard, amethyst eyes wide with alert. She knew Serena was watching her back.

Serena glanced behind them. Celyn and the silver dragon slowly appeared. Alyss curved her body downward, before jerking her body weight upward. It was a fake to make them focus on going down when they were really going up. Serena smiled boldly when she saw that they had fallen for their track, then urged Alyss in.

Alyss urged her body into even greater speeds. Soon, she was going as fast as her body allowed. She made fast spirals and twists, attempting to lose the dragon and Rider pair pursuing them. Soon, they weren't able to keep up as much.

Serena lowered herself in the saddle. _Until next time, Celyn… _

_Oh, and you'd better count on the next time being soon._

Serena chuckled and sealed her mind away from his reach.

…..

There.. I feel like all I ever give you guys is 2,000 – 3,000 word posts.. You guys deserve so much more! And, now that I'm in the grove of school, and my teachers havn't thrown homework in my face, I have a lot more time on my hands. So, I wrote as much as I could. (:

Please remember to review! Thanks. (:


	10. Chapter 10

Kay.. So, like, I woke up, and had one more review than I had the following night. Nothing out of the ordinary.. Went to school for 8 hours, came back, to find I had four more reviews than I had in the morning! You guys have no idea how happy I am right now! (:

Thanks to all the followers of this! I really enjoy writing for you guys.

This chapter probably isn't going to be as long as the ones before, so don't expect much. It won't include anything to special, because I need to slow things down a bit now..

**I do not own Inheritance Cycle.**

**Nor do I claim it. **

**/…../**

Serena soon found herself relaxing slightly and only looking back every few minutes. _I think we lost them…_

_As do I. _

Serena played her with her fingers, keeping her knees tight on Alyss's neck to avoid slipping and crashing to her death. _Do you think Menoa will be okay?_

_Are you kidding? That oversized-housecat is built like a rock. She knows how to hunt, if she stays by the house, she'll be fine. You told her what to do by mind, right? _

_Of course._

_Then as soon as I can, I'll fly back and gather her and you belongings. It shouldn't be anymore than a week or two._

Serena sighed and shifted in the saddle. She knew Alyss was right. Menoa was a strong, independent tiger, and would be able to take care of herself until they returned. Serena just prayed no farmers or curious boys came into the Spine and had a scare from her, then tried to kill her. Menoa was friendly around the few beings she had encountered, unless they were threatening herself or Serena.

…

Celyn sighed as Vrang landed. "She's going towards Derrington's direction, so hopefully he'll be able to catch her."

_Hopefully she doesn't kiss him. _Celyn looked at Vrang with a warning gaze.

"Not the time, Vrang." He muttered and stretched his back. He could still feel the warmth of her lips on his, which caused a shiver to slide down his back. The kiss had lasted no more than a few seconds, enough for his grip to loosen, but Celyn had forgotten a lot during those few seconds. Like that he had to capture her.

Celyn walked over to a creak and washed off his hands and face. He returned to Vrang, trying to forget what had happened with the young Rider.

He mounted the silver dragon. "Let's go. If they happen to see Derrington and Cology and turn around, we'll be right behind her."

Vrang crouched and took off, beating his wings hard to rise above the treetops.

….

Derrington mounted Cology carefully, and then bounced in the saddle. "Alright.. Let's go." With that, the red dragon swiftly took off. Suddenly, Derrington heard a voice from behind him, in his bag. He pulled out a mirror and looked at it in confusion.

"Ah, Celyn. Do you have any more leads? Linnea told me that you found her, and I am coming as fast as I can."

"Just keep coming. The girl's heading in your direction. White dragon. Amethyst eyes. The dragon.. Well, it looks different than most."

"How so?"

"She's built for speed instead of strength. She's thin, tall, long, and has an extra fold in her wing."

"Can she outrun Vrang?"

"With ease."

"Damn." Derrington ran a hand through his dark brown hair. Cology was one of the strongest current dragons for his size, but that meant he was slower than most. "Alright, I'll send her running to either you or Linnea."

"Just don't let her get to the mountains. With the dragon's white scales and the girl always wearing white, it'll be like finding a blue fish in the ocean."

Derrington nodded just as Celyn's face disappeared.

_This girl sounds tough. _Cology observed.

_Maybe so. But she's inexperienced on dragon-back, and the dragon won't be able to fight you off._

_True._

…

Trolololol.. Short chapter.. DON'T BE MAD AT ME! I couldn't write anymore than this without adding bits of the next chapter. Lololololol.

Review!


	11. Chapter 11

I apoligize for the double post. I've been sidetracked a lot more lately, and quite frankly, I have reason to be. It's fixed now. (:

**I do not own Inheritance Cycle.**

**Nor do I claim it. **

**/…../**

…..

Serena closed her eyes and leaned back, placing her hands limply on her petite waist. _Tell me, Alyss, how exactly you managed to learn how to fly like that._

_It's like walking to you. The older you get, the easier it becomes. Remember those hours I spent outside before the sun came up? I was practicing and figuring out good tactics in case we ever did come across an opponent._

_It's a good thing you did. _

_Tell me exactly how you managed to escape the boy. He looked like a worthy opponent, even for somebody as skilled as you._

Serena chuckled softly, _You know boys.. What they want can be placed on a paper the size of my hand. Butt, lips, and more butt._

Alyss snorted at that. _Please tell me you kept your rear to yourself._

_Yeah, that I did. I didn't however, keep my lips to myself._

_What am I going to do with you, Seri? _

_Be happy that I got away…? _

Alyss gave no reply. _Looks like I'll have to be, because I'm stuck with you._

Serena laughed softly and patted Alyss's thin but muscular neck. _Yes, yes you are. _Serena sighed when Alyss began to descend.

_I need to hunt quickly. I shouldn't be long. _Alyss said as Serena dismounted the mighty dragon. _Stay out of sight and out of mind. _With that, the dragon took off.

Serena watched the dragon leave. Though she hadn't noticed earlier, she felt her stomach ache with hunger. She muttered something under her breath and began looking along the forest floor. If she could find some good roots and/or berries, that would hold her off until they came to somewhere more suitable for meals.

Serena knelt down and began pulling an array of berries from the frail branches. Her nimble fingers avoided any spikes or thorns that were meant to protect the fruit.

When she finished gathering, she began eating instantly. She propped herself up against the trunk of a tree and ate silently. Her blue eyes looked through the treetops blankly as she finished off her meal, or snack.

A deep voice boomed through the forest. Serena's eyes flashed in the direction of the voice before she scrambled up the tree. She crouched in a thick spot of leaves and branches. She peered down from her perch.

A man in black robes walked directly beneath her. The top of his head was covered, but Serena could spot wine-red hair. His stride was confident in every way. Behind him trailed two Urgals.

"Remember to be cautious when we capture the Rider and dragon. They're young, but I have a feeling they'll put up a nice fight." The Shade said without a glance at his companions.

"What's the Rider's name?"

"Serena."

Serena choked on air. Her eyes widened until she swore they were the size of an owls. Before she could do anything, her foot slipped. She fell to the ground, landing hard on her back. She scrambled to get to her feet, but a large hand pressed her back to the ground. She lashed out and was prepared to do so again, when she saw the man standing beside the Urgal who had her pinned. She gasped when memories flew back into her mind.

_A few feet away from her stood a man dressed in black robes. In his hand, was a deadly blade. It was slightly longer than a typical dagger, but shorter than a sword. _

_The man continued to move toward her, his stride inhuman. Though his face was mostly shadowed, Serena could see the smile that gripped his lips, sending thin laugh lines running up and down his face. _

_His eyes, though, were the scarriest part. They were black. Black as night. The only part that remained a different color were the whites of his eyes, and even they were more like an eggshell white._

Serena froze and tensed her muscles. The other Urgal strode to her, dagger in hand, and raised it just above her head. She looked up into the Urgal's cruel, dark eyes. She would not beg. She found it as a weakness.

The man looked down at her with another cruel smile. "Ah, the heart and courage of a Rider.." He said, then his eyes landed on her hands. His mouth twitched. "Check them."

The Urgal whom had her pinned peeled off one glove, then grunted when he saw nothing. He grabbed her other hand and looked at the hand. He twisted her hand to show the man.

"Tell me, young Rider, is your name _Serena?" _

Serena said nothing, just looked into his cruel eyes.

The man dipped his head. "Good. This makes our mission a lot easier.. Bound her hands." Serena struggled as one Urgal grasped her hands, and the other pulled out a rope.

"You'll regret this." She hissed as the Urgal bound her hands tightly. She winced when the rough material practically broke her skin. "There's people looking for me."

The man chuckled. "And they won't find you." He said as the Urgal hauled her to her feet. "Nobody but your dragon will find you."

Serena felt anger rise through her. She lashed out sharply again, nailing the Urgal in the gut with her bound hands. When the other lumbered to her, she kicked her leg out high, clipping him in the ribs. She spun away and began bounding away, but that was when so much pain took over her, she stopped in her tracks.

She let out a shrill scream and fell to the ground, her eyes widening in both fear and pain. She felt like her insides, her muscles, and her bones, had just moved to cement and were grinding against her sensitive flesh. She stopped moving and closed her eyes, her vision slightly blurred.

"You should know better than to underestimate a Shade, Serena." The man cooed as he took a step towards her. He muttered a word that ended the spell, but he could still see that Serena was still weak. He leaned down and pulled up the petite girl into his arms and handed her off to one of the Urgals. "Don't drop her, or let any harm come her way." He said simply as he turned and continued on. He knew there was a cave nearby, and that was where he would keep the girl until the dragon arrived.

From there, he would break the connection of dragon and Rider, and instead connect the dragon to himself.

….

Faintly, Celyn heard a scream. He frowned faintly.

_It's probably just your hatchlings at play, Celyn. _Vrang said, gently touching his Rider's mind.

Celyn shrugged. _That one didn't seem like a playful scream of a child.. It resembled a grown woman.._

_Celyn, we don't have time to investigate. We need to find that Rider and dragon. _

Celyn squinted and gazed over the sky before them. He saw a sudden flash of red. _Derrington?_

_Yeah?_

_Good, you're here. Meet in the trees?_

Without a reply, Celyn saw Cology descend towards the ground. Vrang curved toward the ground shortly after.

As soon as Vrang landed, Celyn hopped down from his perch on the saddle. He crossed over to Cology and Derrington and gave a small wave in greeting. Celyn opened his mouth to say something, when he heard a roar. A roar that reflected pain and fear. It wasn't Galzra's roar, that was for sure. Celyn looked up as a shadow crossed overhead. H saw the faint figure of a white tail lashing back and forth.

"Is that the dragon?" Derrington asked, looking up in conern.

Celyn merely nodded.

"What is she doing?"

"I don't know.."

The white dragon descended and landed not far from them in the trees. Celyn could see her blurred view of studying the ground, snorting, and then looking strait at him. What he didn't see, however, was Serena's figure atop her back. Her wings unfurled slightly in warning.

Celyn stepped forward, despite Derrington's warnings on him not to. "Where's your Rider?"

The white dragon didn't answer him for a moment, just looked at him with two amethyst orbs. _You tell me.. _She said with a snarl. Celyn could hear Vrang take a step forward, in case the dragon would attack.

"We didn't do anything with Serena." Celyn said, his voice darkening. What had happened to her? He looked down at where Alyss's feet were. He could see tracks.

"Mind if I look at those?"

_Two pairs are Urgal tracks. The other one.. Is dark. The smell is revolting._

Celyn studied the tracks from a small distance. He only took a step towards the tracks when Alyss moved out of the way. He leaned down and studied them for a minute.

"And they're recent."

Alyss flicked her snake-like tongue out. _You didn't do this…?_

"No."

Alyss snorted, but she seemed to believe him. She curled her long tail.

Alyss's amethyst eyes followed the tracks until they disappeared in the distance. She unfurled her wings and crouched. She kicked off the ground and rose above the treetops. Celyn watched her with a curious gaze. Her way of doing that was much different than other dragons. She had seemed to rise above the dense trees faster, even without hardly kicking off the ground.

He shook his head when he realized she might be leaving. But instead of going away, she stayed just above the treetops and followed the tracks. Celyn followed on foot, Derrington behind him.

…..

To be continued.. Lol.

Eh. I lied. Something big and interesting does happen this chapter, doesn't it?

Just so you guys know, chapters from now on might be a little shorter and won't be posted as often.. Personal reasons.

Please review!


	12. Chapter 12

Somewhere along the way, Serena was either knocked out or fell asleep. She only knew this because when she woke up, she was in a whole different place. She wasn't in the forest anymore. She was in a room, or a cave with a door. It was a circular room with choppy rock walls and a simple oak wood door.

She had been placed on a slab of rock on the center of the room. She could escape. There was nothing bounding her hands, and a simple kick would bring the door crashing down. But when she tried to move her limbs, she found that her whole body ached with exhaustion, even with the simple movement of bending her legs. She couldn't even move her fingers.

The only thing she could move was her eyes.

She sighed deeply and tried again, with no prevail. She gave up, and instead stared blankly at the rock ceiling, which swooped down to one side. She closed her eyes and was about to slip into sleep when she realized why she was here. And who exactly had brought her here. Two Urgals, and a Shade.

She choked and merely shook her head. She was trapped in a room, unable to move, with a Shade somewhere around. She couldn't give up now. She opened her mouth to speak. Surprisingly, her mouth muscles obeyed. But no words were able to slip from her mouth. Not even a simple 'hello'.

She closed her eyes in frustration and found herself slipping into another deep sleep. To tired to object, she allowed her eyes to remained close. That is, until she heard the clinging of keys outside her door.

Her eyes slowly opened and fell on the door. It swung open, and a single figure stepped into the room. The Shade. Serena's jaw tightened, but she didn't say anything. She couldn't say anything. If she had the choice of moving one body part at that moment, it would be to sit up, so she could spit in his face.

"Such a young one, aren't you?" The Shade said with a small, fake frown. He tsked his tongue, "Such a shame you'll have to go through the things that lie ahead." He took a step towards her. Serena could almost feel her whole body going rigid.

"Though, I do believe you deserve a proper introduction." He said with a small, evil smile. "And an explanation on why I am in your presence.

"I am Shade Emefus. Though it is down the line, I am a descendant of Durza." He said as he circled her, folding his hands neatly in front of him. "I am sure you have heard the rumors and such about Shades. How evil they are, how they have no souls. All that, my girl, is true." He said with a glance her way.

"However.. I am on a mission. A mission that only I and you shall know about." He said as he looked down at the young Rider. "I am in search of a soul. Not a soul for myself, but a soul as in a companion. A partner in crime."

Serena's face read disgust. Without meaning to, she spoke with her mind, _If you ever think I'd ever even __**consider **__siding with you, you're wrong. _

Emefus chuckled. "That is quite alright. Because I don't want you, I want your dragon."

Serena stopped thinking. She couldn't even breath. Alyss? _Alyss would never side with you._

"Oh, but she would if she knew how much pain you were in. And how close you were to death." Emefus cooed. "You see, I've done my research on dragons and Riders. Dragons will do anything for their Riders. That's how Galbatorix took over the Empire, by torturing the Riders until the dragons gave up their Eldurni." Emefus said as he circled Serena. "I, am going to put pain to you until your dragon agrees to be mine.

"I will break the connection with the both of you, then I will create the connection with her and I. It'll almost be like she hatched for me instead of you." He said with a cruel smile. "Then, I can start where Galbatorix left off. Ruling the Empire. Enslaving the magicians.

"And what will you gain? Life. If all goes well, I will let you live. That is- if you cooperate. If you make this difficult, you can expect a long, painful death. If you do it peacefully, without any complaint, then I will release you without a second thought."

Serena breathed deeply as the tears stung her eyes. He was going to control Alyss's mind and force her to be his 'assistant'. He was going to enslave her to his own personal deeds. The dirty work. She closed her eyes and refused to look at the pale, revolting creature that stood In front of her. She somehow gathered the strength to speak.

"I hope you rot in hell." She hissed, not opened her eyes.

Emefus turned to her. "I can't do that if I never die." He said and crossed to her, breaking what little space that had separated them in the first place. He drew a finger over her neck. Serena let out a small, shakey breath as she felt his fingernail drag along the sensitive skin.

"You're lucky I can't kill you yet. I still need your dragon." He said, his voice dark and low. "But I can still cause you pain."

Serena's eyes shot open as pain filled her body, head to toe. Her mouth parted and released a scream that echoed through the room and the surrounding rooms. He was breaking her bones, all at one time. He then mended them back together, good as new. Serena's forehead was sleek with sweat and her whole body was shaking as the pain faded away.

"Watch it, Rider, and we won't have a problem." Emefus said and left the room.

…..

Celyn ran a hand through his brown hair as he stopped to lean against a tree. They had been tracking the Urgals and Shade for more than two hours now. The sun was setting, and the tracks did nothing but lead on. They made no turns, no swerves. They didn't even step out of formation. A smaller pair of boots in front, obviously a man's, then two pairs of bigger boots in the back. Whatever the human was good at, he had obviously made an impression on the Urgals to make them follow him.

Celyn looked up as a shadow crossed overhead. A green dragon landed, emerald eyes looking at the Riders and other dragons. _I see you have found our target.. But where is the Rider?_

"That's who we're looking for. She disappeared, and the only things left are tracks. They're not even hers." Derrington said, looking up at the great dragon.

Galzra grunted and crouched so Linnea could slip from the saddle easier. Suddenly, the he tensed. His whole body went rigid. He whipped his head side to side, nearly knocking down a tree. He stood strait before Linnea could stand. _I sense dark magic…_

Derrington frowned just as Cology landed beside him. The wine-red dragon's body language was calmer than Galzra's but Derrington could feel the waves of alarm coming off the dragon. _Perhaps it is a Shade? _The red dragon offered.

Linnea slid down Galzra's side, despite the dragon's grunt in protest. "All the magicians are under Nasauda's watch. There's no virtual way to create a Shade without her permission, and she would never allow them to do something like that. Unless he came from before Galbatorix's fall, then I don't think there's any possible way for the Shade to be born."

A white dragon soared down from the sky, curling her body to land lightly. The impact could still be heard, though. Celyn watched Derrington and Linnea look at the white dragon in slight amazement. Alyss's type was pretty much unheard of. Not noticing them, she said, _Are you saying that my Rider might have been abducted by a Shade? _

_It's possible. _Cology replied, taking the white dragon's look in. _Tell me, young one, what is your name? _

Alyss snorted and flicked the end of her tail. She took a step to the side, testing her weight on the uneven ground. She wasn't sure whether or not to even breath her name. _Alyss. _

"It's nice to meet you, Alyss." Celyn said, cautiously taking a step towards her. She was taller than the average dragon around her age, if he was looking right. She had a broad chest, most likely for bigger lungs. She had a sharp yet sleek look to her.

"This is Linnea, Galzra, Celyn, Vrang, and Cology and I, Derringtom." Derrington said, motioning to every Rider or dragon he spoke of. Celyn instinctively took a step back when the dragon tensed at Derrington's name.

_Derrington? _She repeated stiffly.

Derrington merely nodded. Out of the corner of his eye, Celyn could see Cology take a step forward, ready to defend his Rider. But Alyss soon relaxed and flicked her tail. _It is an honor to meet you all. Especially you, Prince Der, son of Nasauda. _Her amethyst eyes moved to Celyn briefly.

Derrington pursed his lips and shrugged. "How did you know who I was?"

Alyss seemed to smile in a dragon-like way. _It'd be a shame to reveal my source, wouldn't it? _She curled her tail, ending the conversation. _Now that the introduction's finished with, can we please go find my Rider?_

Celyn chuckled and continued down the trail, without a word to anybody else. Linnea fell in step beside him. _Don't you find it a little weird that Alyss knew who Derrington was? I didn't even know who he was, or that he was Nasauda's son. _

_None of us knew. _Celyn replied simply. _And from what I know, Serena's well informed of the Empire's doings. She probably just informed Alyss of all these things._

_Maybe._

"How long until we find the Rider, do you think?" Linnea asked, ending the private conversation.

"Probably no more than a few moments."

Little did they know, the place where Serena was was just up ahead. Along with the Shade, whom was watching them carefully through the trees.


	13. Chapter 13

**Thanks for all the comments, I really appreciate them!**

**And to the people whom ask for constant chapters.. I'm sorry, but I am not going to be able to post consistently. I will post probably once a week, twice if I'm lucky. I just have a lot going on right now, including other FFs. I'll work on them throughout the week, then submit them by the weekend or right before the weekend. They'll most likely be longer that way, too.**

/….\\\\\\

Serena's blue eyes opened slowly. She let out a small groan of pain when she moved her limbs the slightest. She was receiving the feeling back to her body and was now able to move, but it was extremely painful. The Shade returned continuously every few hours. If she said nothing wrong, he would go through a torture movement. He simply called is discipline, but even that wasn't supposed to be this painful.

She had managed to sleep through most of the empty hours, but she could only sleep so much. Plus, Emefus didn't care enough to let her sleep long enough to regain back her energy and health.

Her lips parted slightly as she sucked in a breath of the damp air. She was exhausted, both physically and mentally. Oddly enough, her pain didn't seem worth letting the Shade get anywhere close to ruling over Alagaesia, or letting him harm Alyss in any way or another.

In order to break the bond between her an Alyss, Emefus had to get into both of their minds and take over. Once he breaks into her mind, it will be easier to do the next time, and the time after that. Serena had managed to keep her mind sealed, despite his constant attempts to break in.

That was where the majority of her pain came from, for he punished her for resisting.

She winced when she felt a mind brush against hers. She tensed and threw up her defenses, prepared to fight. Even though she was doubtful that she would be able to keep her strength up. There was a limit to the strength of her mind.

But.. This mind wasn't dark, or dreary like the Shade's. She still kept her defenses up, though, but part of her was curious to who the mysterious mind was. It felt familiar, warm.. Friendly. The mind brushed against hers again, requesting entrance. Serena closed her eyes and resisted the urge to lower her main defenses, to the soft spots in her mind. They wouldn't be able to do any more than speak to her. No taking over her body, no accessing any of her memories.. No breaking bonds.

She could feel a faint twinge of relief when the mind didn't strike. _Serena? _She choked when she recognized the voice. Despite the pain it sent spiraling down her spine, she looked around the room, as if somebody were there watching her.

_Celyn.._

_…._

Celyn breathed a small sigh of relief. He could still feel the hesitance in her voice, but he had a good feeling that she wouldn't close up her defenses now. He realized how tense she kept her mind, and only allowed him limited access.

"I found her." He whispered, and the group's eyes landed on him. Alyss was first to react.

"Is she alright?"

_Are you alright? _Celyn asked softly, listening intently for her reply.

_Y-… No._

He looked at Alyss and gave a small shrug. He wouldn't exactly be happy to be told if Vrang was injured, he wouldn't like somebody to tell him he wasn't alright. Especially considering it was coming from a stranger.

_Where are you? We've been searching for you for the last four days._

_Only four days? _There was a slight pause, and Celyn feared that she might have been missing longer. Before he could say anything, she spoke again, _It seems like it's been longer than that. _

_Where are you? _Celyn repeated, stopping in his tracks.

_Some cave.. It's dark. The only thing I can see is a door. The ceiling looks like it's dirt.. I-I can't see anything else._

_Who took you there? Are you trapped?_

_Emefus and two Urgals._

Celyn listened. He knew that she could handle two Urgals fairly well, considering how she took down that one, but who was Emefus. _Emefus…?_

There was a long pause. When she didn't say anything for more than a minute, Celyn feared their connection might have broke. But in came a slow, steady reply, _A Shade._

Celyn covered his mouth and leaned against a tree. He sat down, pain reflecting on his eyes. _What's he doing to you?_

Instead of a word answer, in came images of what he was doing to her. He could hear screams and whimpers coming off the memories. He could _feel _her pain. Suddenly, he felt trapped. He was alone in the cave, exactly how Serena had described it. He moved his limbs the slightest, and a certain pain washed over him again. Just when he began fighting to get out Serena's mind, she released him. Still, she said nothing.

Celyn could himself on the edge of tears. He quickly blinked them away. He couldn't feel the pain anymore, but he knew Serena still felt it.

_Why is he doing this to you?_

_He needs Alyss. So he's going to break my bond with her, and create the bond with him. _A short pause followed shortly after. _I'm scared, Celyn. He longs to avenge Galbatorix's death.. He's starting by taking my other half.. _He could feel her emotions subside. _Keep Alyss away. He can't do anything until he finds her._

Celyn explained everything to his comrades. He could see the horror and pain reflected in their faces as he replayed the things he had felt. After that, they all remained silent. There was nothing to say. Serena was going through more pain imaginable, and it was a wonder a young girl like her was still alive.

_Hang in there Serena.. We'll find you. _

He could already feel her mind slipping away.

…..

Serena sealed her mind away when she heard the sound of keys. She closed her eyes, despite knowing Emefus would speak to her despite that. When he entered the room, Serena swore she could feel the air dampen and darken even more.

"Ah.. Serena.." He said as he pushed the door closed with his boot. Even without her eyes opened, she knew there was a dark smile gripping his lips. She slowly opened her eyes, but didn't look at him.

"Your dragon is not far from here.. Just another few hours and your bond will be broken. Then, I'll allow you to run off." He said, then paused. "Is this how you address me?"

Serena's body curled and she released a scream that echoed through the room and the surrounding rooms. She clenched her hands into fists and closed her eyes as the pain throbbed through her body. He used this one a lot, because he had found that it brought her much pain. It felt like he was sending a flame down her throat into her stomach. After only a moment, the pain subsided, but she could feel herself on the merge of tears.

Despite her state, she refused to beg for forgiveness or beg for freedom.

She tilted her head to him to look at him. Her voice was quiet, but clear. "Yes master." She hissed through gritted teeth.

Emefus nodded. "Better." He clasped his hands together and paced around her. "I can almost feel the bond. Just another few hours, and I will be able to actually feel it." He chuckled darkly.

"Those kids with your dragon are no match for me. They will hardly be an obstacle. Though, their dragons might prove to be a problem.." He leaned against the wall and pulled out a long, curved blade. A dark smile formed across his lips. "Let's see if they can hear you scream, shall we?"

Serena's whole body went tense. She felt a bead of sweat slid down her forehead at the sight of the knife. Her eyes kept on the cruel blade. She ground her teeth together when he took a step towards her. "You know they won't be able to. Master." She said quietly, her voice scratchy from the recent pain. "Wait a while."

Emefus chuckled and ran his hand along the knife. He used a long, bony finger to play with the end of one of her waves. "Don't worry. I prefer magic as a use of discipline. Nevermind the fact that if they were close enough, they would have heard that scream you released not moments ago."

"It won't be anymore than a small slit on your hand." Without another word, he took her hand and ran the tip of it along the palm of her hand. She winced, though, the pain was nothing compared to what she had been feeling.

Serena's eyes drifted to the door when a pounding exploded in the cave. "They are here, Emefus. They've slayed half of our guard."

Emefus scowled and crossed over to the door. "Guard her. I don't want them anywhere near her." He said as he opened the door and exited the room. The Urgal stepped in and closed the door, a long war hammer already in hand.

Serena breathed a small sigh of relief. They were here.. But was Alyss? She clenched her teeth and looked at the Urgal. She knew little of mind tricks, but she knew that the Urgal's mind was weak. They had a thicker skull than they did a brain.

Gathering what little energy she had, she reached out with her mind. She almost instantly found the Urgal's mind and slithered in, thankful it was unblocked. She shifted through a long series of memories and other things before she found what she was looking for. By then, he had tilted his head, as if a fly were bothering him.

She found his weak point and pushed, surprised by the outcome. The Urgal, now realizing what was going on, stumbled forward, as if he had been struck. He spun around to face Serena, but Serena used her mind to target him once again. This time, his eyes rolled to the back of his head and he fell to his knees. Either unconscious, or dead.

She felt her mind waver. She closed her eyes and groaned. She wasn't exactly in pain, but a sleep was starting to take over her. It wasn't the natural kind either. It was demanding. She looked at her hand to find the cut was already healed over, except for a few beads of blood surrounding where the cut used to be. The blade must hve been enchanted.

And when a Shade carries around an enchanted tool, everybody knows it can't be good.

Serena took a deep breath and tilted her head back. She could hear a small commotion, but it was faint.

For all she knew, it was just the Urgals sharpening their weapons on the bones of her comrades.

….

Celyn looked at his sword in dismay. There it was, dripping with black Urgal blood. He was tempted to wipe it off on the grass, but another Urgal targeted him to fast. Remembering a move Serena had done, he crouched and used the flat of his sword to crush against the knees of the creature. The legs buckled, and the Urgal fell to the ground with a loud _thud. _

Celyn stabbed his sword through the chest of the Urgal, a small amount of pride flowing through him. But the pride only lasted so long until a new figure came out. It resembled a man, but with white, pale skin and blood-red eyes. Even the hair of the man was red.

_Shade Emefus_

Celyn stopped in his tracks, his eyes darting side to side. He realized that Linnea and Derrington had not yet noticed the Shade making his way towards them. He uttered a word warning them, and they instantly looked up. Celyn took a step forward so he was slightly ahead of them.

"Where's Serena?" He said quietly, his sword glinting in the sun's bright rays.

The Shade looked at them with a cold smirk. "She's hidden.." He said with a small shrug. He shifted the sword in his hand, and shifted his stance so he guarded the entrance of the cave so they wouldn't be able to get in. "I knew that Riders were foolish, but I didn't think they were stupid. You see, I'm not going to be as kind to you as I am with Serena. I'm letting her go. But you.." He smiled coldly. "Aren't so lucky."

"I'm afraid the one who lacks luck today is you Emefus. It's three against one."

Emefus chuckled. "Ah, but that makes no difference to me.. One spell, and you'll all be dead." He paused to look at the three mighty dragons behind them. His eyes narrowed when he didn't spot any that would be Serena's. "Why, where is Serena's dragon? I'm sure it wouldn't like to miss the action."

"We know what you're planning to do." Celyn said, taking another steps toward the Shade.

Emefus raised his chin, "So you've spoken to Serena.." He said as he shifted his stance, taking a step forward. "I'm surprised. I can hardly get a word out of her.. To bad those will be the last words you say to her."

Derrington took two long strides so he stood beside Celyn. _Go and get in the cave. Linnea and I will hold him back._

Celyn said nothing, and only a moment later, Derrington lunged forward. Celyn sidestepped and sprinted across the clearing to the cave. He burst into the cave, and was surprised to find that he was surrounded by multiple hallways. He cursed quietly.

He closed his eyes and searched for the spark of Serena's mind. He found it only after a moment later. He charged through, though, his speed was slowed greatly when two Urgals ran at him.

Celyn raised his sword and skidded to a stop. It only took him a moment to kill the both of him, the small, narrow hallway being used as his advantage. He charged on, and soon came to a single door. He took a deep breath and kicked the door. Two kicks later, the door crashed down onto the floor. Celyn nearly tripped on a dead Urgal body laying on the ground. He stumbled to regain his balance, and strode to Serena. Her eyes were closed, but he hardly noticed that. All he could see was her hollow cheeks, the thin, pale skin gripping her bones. There were cuts sliding along her arms, one even below her eye. He choked. They had only been searching for her for four days!

He ground his teeth together and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder, searching for her heartbeat. He breathed a small sigh of relief when he found it. It was faint, but it was there. He slid an arm under the bend of her legs and his other hand on the small of her back. He prepared to lift the body, only to find himself devastated.

He frowned. She weighed no more than a large sack of flour. The Shade had starved her. He had abused her. He had _tortured her for no reason. _

He gritted his teeth together and pulled her closer to him. He moved silently through the hall, despite the added weight. He kept his eyes wide with alert. If anybody decided to attack him now, it wouldn't be good, because he couldn't pull his arm free, in fear of dropping Serena.

When he emerged from the cave, he wasn't surprised to find that Derrington and Linnea were still fighting. Celyn jogged over to Vrang, who was already crouching. Quickly, he placed Serena into the front of the saddle and swung in after her. In the middle of doing so, he heard a roar. It wasn't Vrang's. Or even Cology's or Galzra's. It was Alyss's. Before Celyn could open his mind enough to tell her to stay away, another roar joined in with hers. This one was like nothing he had ever heard.

A large, blood-red dragon streaked through the sky and landed hard on the ground, shaking the trees. Even the dragons stumbled. He was much larger than Saphira, probably about twice as big. Off slid a Rider with dark hair obscuring his vision. Celyn saw the glint of red when the Rider pulled out his sword. He had seen it before in books.

Celyn pulled Serena closer to him as Vrang shifted beneath him. The Rider charged forward, going past Linnea and Derrington, and swung at Emefus. Almost perfectly, the sword struck the stomach of the surprised and confused Shade. The Shade stumbled, then disappeared.

Before them, stood a legend known as Murtagh.

/…\\\\\

DUN DUN DUN! So. Um. Like. Yeah. Cliff hanger, but that's to be expected. Cuz I wuv you guys!


	14. Chapter 14

Murtagh's eyes moved to Vrang and Celyn. Celyn shifted uncomfortably at the elder Rider's dark gaze. "Who is that?" He asked, motioning to the girl he held.

"Rider of the white dragon." Celyn replied quietly, dipping his head in the direction of Alyss.

Murtagh strides over to Celyn. He could see the hesitation on the young Rider's face. "Relax, boy. I'm only here to help." He said glumly. The Rider hesitated for another heartbeat before lowering her into his arms. Murtagh frowns at how light the girl is.

She'd been beaten. She'd been hurt. It's all so obvious. The bruises, the cuts, the gashes. All just on her showing skin. Murtagh feared what was hiding beneath her clothing. But.. Even behind all the wounds, she was beautiful. She had long, full lashes, and obvious thin build. She had brown waves that tumbled far past her shoulders, and was cut into layers to give her a sharper look. She reminded him of someone.

_The woman's black hair glowed in the dull light as she took a step towards him. She looked up at him with big, innocent brown eyes. "Murtagh.." she murmured, caressing his cheek with light fingers._

_It had been a long 5 years since he had stepped foot anywhere near humans. And now he was here. In Dras Leona. With his long-lost love right before him. _

_He never wanted to leave. Ever. _

_"Nasauda.." He replied, just before leaning down and planting a light kiss on her lips._

Murtagh cleared his throat and shifted the girl in his arms. Though, this young lady was much younger than Nasauda. She looked to be no older than a teenager. He looked at her for another few moments longer, feeling the eyes of the eager Riders burning into the back of his head.

"It's a shame what that bastard did to her.." He mumbled. "He beat her, and then poisoned her."

…..

After discussing the matter over a small meal of bread, cheese, and soup, they came to the conclusion that there was only one way to save her. Taking her to Ellesmere. But that was clear across Alagaesia, and there was no guarantee that they would make it in time.

_Then just let me go. _Alyss said, bringing herself to her feet. Her white scales glowed like pearls under the sun's dim rays.

"What if that Shade comes back? You wouldn't be able to defend yourself." Linnea said as she slid another slice of bread into her mouth.

Celyn's eyes flashed to Alyss. "I'll go with her."

Linnea shook her head at Celyn. "You're not going there alone. Not without me."

"You'll just slow us down. We need to get Serena there as quickly as possible." Celyn insisted, his voice firm. Usually, he wouldn't want to argue with Linnea. She was the type where she was firm. If she didn't want you to do something, you usually wouldn't end up doing it. Celyn usually let her have her way, but not this time. He wasn't backing down.

"Celyn, you can't defend yourself against that Shade, and you know it. All four of you will end up dead if you go."

"Then we'll just have to get there fast. We can't do that if you come along."

Linnea stood, but Derrington reached out. He gently grabbed her arm and pulled her back onto the log. "Linnea, let him go. If he wants his ass to be struck by a ball of lightning, so be it."

Linnea snorted and crossed her arms over her chest. "Fine." She muttered, and ate without another word.

Celyn nodded solemnly and stood. He took a step towards Serena, but Alyss was to her feet and standing in front of the Rider before he could take another step. The white dragon didn't have her teeth bared or eyes narrowed, but Celyn could tell that she was tense.

"Alyss, we have to get going now." He said quietly, taking another step towards the girl and dragon. He was trying to be calm, because he was the same way with Vrang, and Vrang him.

Alyss flicked the end of her tail and snorted, before stepping to the side. _She rides with me._

Celyn merely nodded and leaned down beside Serena, who was gently propped up against a tree. He lifted her with ease, finding no strain in his back or muscles. If he would have had to carry her before he had become a Rider, he would have felt a lot of strain, even with her light weight. But now, he probably could have carried her at her full weight and still wouldn't have felt any strain.

He walked over to Alyss smoothly, trying not to disturb Serena's unconscious body. If he hadn't known, he could have mistaken her for sleeping. Her eye lashes often fluttered while she slept. He placed her on the saddle and instantly began strapping her in, using extra leather straps to ensure she didn't fall and crash to her death. He then checked, then double checked to make sure the straps were sturdy.

…..

Linnea grinned ear to ear as she watched Celyn scoop up Serena and begin tying her into the saddle. She wasn't to happy about him going to Ellesmere alone, but it was oddly amusing watching how careful he was with Serena.

_He fancies her. _She said to everybody in the clearing except Murtagh, Thorn, and Celyn. Derrington chuckled and looked at her, a tight smirk displayed on his face.

_I don't think he knows it, though. _Vrang commented, silver eyes falling upon his Rider.

Linnea nodded briefly and brushed her hands together to wipe away and crumbs. She stood and crossed over to Celyn. She placed her hand lightly on his shoulder. "You be careful. Get there quickly. Make as little stops as possible."

"Yes mother.." Celyn said mockingly, and used his fingers to ruffle Linnea's hair. He strode over to Vrang and swung into the saddle, his eyes landing briefly on Murtagh, who was walking up to him.

"Get the girl there fast. She has little time, if any time at all." He said, eyes landing on the white dragon, who was waiting patiently. He took a step back to give the silver dragon space as he stood.

Celyn looked at Murtagh and waited for him to say more, but when he didn't, he looked ahead. _Let's go…_

….

_Serena moved quickly through the trees, her cloak following after her like a cape would. She was quick and light on her feet, but not quick or light enough. She ran until her lungs screamed and her muscles felt like rocks. She slowed her pace, but continued at an uneven trot._

_He was behind her. She knew it. She was faster than the average woman, and faster than many men, but she couldn't outrun the magic of a Shade. She held up her hands to gaze at them. Blood trailed down her forearm to her fingertips, and dropped to the ground with every movement she took. She cried out at the sight, and found herself throwing her hands down and pressing on, urging herself into a jog._

_Then she felt a large hand clamp down on her shoulder. It yanked her back so hard she found herself stumbling into the owner of the hand. She jerked, fighting to tear away from the monster's grip, but it was as firm as a rock. His other hand reached around her and covered her mouth, muffling her voice. The hand that had been on her shoulder slid down to her waist. The figure picked her up with ease and turned around, turning back around the direction she had been running from._

_Serena jerked and twisted, but the strong arms kept her in place. It was obviously an Urgal. No other creature would be able to carry her like this and act like he didn't feel a thing._

_Exhausted, sore, and dizzy, Serena couldn't fight any longer. She went limp in his arms, and allowed him to carry her back to the cloaked figure. Emefus. _

_With no fight left in her, she went through the painful death again._

From there, she plunged into another nightmare. Ever since she had fallen unconscious, she had been having these nightmares. They were always new, and she never knew what was going to happen. But no matter what she did, she couldn't prevent the death that happened every time.


	15. Chapter 15

Oh my gosh guys, I had no idea that you all enjoyed my writing this much… I am very, truly sorry for my absence. I really don't have a good excuse. Little muse, I guess. I just haven't done anything other than read the past few weeks.

Nevermind the fact that my computer doesn't like Fanfiction. It won't let me upload or anything. So I was pretty much working on chapters I couldn't post.

I am going to try and post at least one chapter on the weekends. I'll work on them throughout the week, and then post them on the weekend. Sound good?

* * *

Celyn shifted in the saddle, brown eyes glancing at the white dragon. Strapped to the saddle sat Serena, the girl he was traveling to save. She was alive, but only barely.

_How long do we have? _Celyn asked, eyes not moving from the young girl sitting perched on the dragon.

_At least another half day._

Celyn sighed. At this rate, she wasn't going to make it. Her mind was already slipping away, and Alyss often commented on how her breathing was slowing.

_She won't make it at this rate. I'm moving forward. It's her only chance. _Alyss said suddenly, eyes focused on the vast land before her.

"No, Alyss. Emefus is still around. We can't risk your or your rider getting hurt." Linnea said before Alyss had even finished speaking.

"If Alyss doesn't go full speed, Vrang can keep up with her." Celyn said quietly, glancing at Linnea. She met his gaze with a dark glare. To his surprise, though, she said nothing.

Celyn flexed his leg muscles and rose into the saddle. He didn't say anything else. He knew very well that this could be the end of Celyn the Rider.

Without waiting for him, Alyss snorted and shot forward. Her wings were drawn closer to her sides for easier navigation. It always puzzled Celyn how she hadn't had much time to learn how to fly, or even a mentor, but she knew how to navigate and fly very well.

Alyss's eyes moved toward him. She had heard him. Her amethyst eyes were calm, despite the state of her Rider. _I watched the eagles outside of Serena's home. _The white dragon said. _The way they moved their tail feathers isn't much different from the way I use my tail. The way that they tilt to the side is the same as both you and I do. I watched them and experimented. _

Celyn listened to the white dragon carefully. She hadn't spoken much since he'd met her, and he had to admit, she was very bright. She saw things that he would have just looked right past. He hadn't thought about how birds moved a lot like dragons did, and Alyss had pointed out not just one, but two examples of the similarities. He nodded. _Makes sense._

_Of course it does. All humans have a tendency of looking over what's placed right in front of you. _Alyss replied and sped up. Celyn felt Vrang snort softly and speed up. Vrang was fast, but he wouldn't be able to keep up this pace for long.

"Alyss, go." Celyn said quietly. The white dragon glanced back at him, surprise rolling off her intelligent mind. "Just roar if you need help, Vrang will be over faster than you can say 'bloodlust'."

Without question, Alyss tossed her head and tucked her legs neatly beneath her body. She aligned her head with the height of her back, making her long, slender neck perfectly strait. Celyn watched in slight awe. Even by just doing those two things, she somehow managed to speed up the slightest. Alyss flicked out her wings all the way, obviously no longer about easier navigation. She sped forward faster than Celyn had ever seen any dragon go.

Then again, both her and her Rider's lives were at risk.

At this speed, it wasn't very likely that Emefus would be able to even see them speeding across the sky. Celyn watched in amazement as she powerfully pushed herself up into the clouds, disappearing almost instantly. Now she would be safe. Before long, he couldn't even see her.

* * *

Alyss focused on the land before her. She kept her eyes on the ground, her wings beating faster than she had thought possible. She kept her breaths deep and even, but she knew she was tiring out. Any faster and she would only have a few more moments to stay in flight.

Alyss flew harder and faster than ever. Fear rippled through her like tidal waves. She could care less of her own life, but Serena's? That was another story. They both had a lot to live for, but Serena had even more. She was this far in life, she needed to go on even longer.

Alyss's wings ached with the efforts it took to keep at this speed. She released a soft moan of relief at the sight of buildings. Du Welvarden. Land of the Elves.

Alyss folded her wings, and without even trying, found herself descending from the sky. Dropping faster and faster. She slipped right over the tall gates that were most likely chained with many spells only dragons and Riders could pass. Alyss landed hard on the ground, stumbling. Elves were already surrounding her, murmuring with sweet and calm voices.

"_Skulblaka_. Why the rush?" An elf asked, stepping forward. Alyss only lowered her head and shifted her stance, lowering her wings to reveal the Rider strapped to her back. The elves reacted instantly, gently pulling her off of the saddle and rushing into a large building. Alyss was barely aware of her surroundings. Her legs buckled, and she dropped down onto the ground with a dull _thud. _

_If harm comes her way you will suffer my wrath… _Alyss threatened dully, but meaning was hidden behind her smooth voice. She closed her eyes with a sharp exhale.

* * *

Vrang and Celyn finally arrived in Du WelVarden. They stopped before the gates. The gates raised almost instantly at the sight of the pair. Celyn dropped from the saddle, groaning when his stiff legs hit the ground. He drug himself through the gates, Vrang trailing quietly behind him.

Celyn's eyes widened at the sight of a large white figure collapsed only a few meters away from where he stood. Was she dead? Was Serena dead? He let out a small breath of relief when he saw her sides rise and fall.

Vrang stepped past his Rider and lowered his massive head. _Alyss. _He said, his voice low and soft. They both knew that she had been through a lot, and was obviously exhausted. The white dragon awakened instantly, raising her snake-like head to face them. The white dragon yawned and stood, shaking out her leathery wings as she did so.

Celyn watched the proud dragon with slight interest, but he could see the alarm and relief in her eyes. She swung her head to the side, almost knocking an elf who was standing too close over. Her nostrils flared. "Alyss." Celyn said, but the dragon unfurled her wings and launched herself forward.

It wasn't even really a flight. She only flapped once to get herself off the ground. The white dragon moved easily past a few taller buildings and attached herself to the largest building. Celyn watched with parted lips as she peered inside before forcing her head through the window. Her claws pushed off the rocks. He could hear the sound of wood splintering as she forced her body through the window. The elves watched her with small smiles. Well they sure didn't seem to mind.

Celyn glanced at an elf as the elf stopped in front of him. "I am assuming that you are a companion of the young Rider. She has responded extremely well to the treatment, and will awaken any moment now. Her mind might be a little fuzzy, so it might be best if you be there to explain some things to her when she wakes up." The elf said quietly, folding his hands neatly in front of him. "Might I ask what happened to her?"

"A Shade. A descendant from the lovely Durza." Celyn said with disgust.

The elf recoiled slightly, but quickly recovered. "I should have known. Shades are capable of magic so dark. She got here just in time. A moment later and she wouldn't have made it."

Celyn nodded slightly. "May I see her?"

"Yes. Would you like an escort?"

"No, I believe her dragon is making enough noise that I will be able to locate her with ease." Celyn said with a friendly smile before walking past the elf and entering the building. He had been right, he could here the splintering and shattering of wood and rocks clear up the winding staircase.

Celyn hesitated in front of the door before pushing it open. It swung easily on the hinges Celyn entered just as Alyss's tail slithered through the window. Despite having a dragon twice the size of a horse in the room, there was still enough room to maneuver. Celyn hovered at the end of her bed.

Even though she had gotten here in a little less than a few hours ago, the girl was already looking better. Her once hollowed cheeks were now filled out the slightest, and color had returned to her skin. The wounds running up her arms and shoulders were healed, all except a few deep ones that had a gauze placed on them. Her leather clothing had been replaced with a simple, loose white gown. The clothing she had been wearing before had been cleaned of all the blood and dirt and neatly folded on the end of the bed.

Serena's eyes flickered beneath the lids. Celyn peered at her elegant face. He jumped when he realized that an elf was standing beside him. He jumped back, but the elf didn't react. It was the elf who had offered an escort.

"You do realize who she is, right?" The elf asked, nodding his head toward the girl.

Alyss, who had been quietly watching, now bared her teeth in a snarl. Celyn narrowed his eyes, but the elf still didn't react to the vicious dragon. The dragon moved forward, placing her head lightly on Serena's thin waist.

"No, I have not. She has the features of people I know, but I can't put it into place." Celyn shrugged.

The elf's eyes wandered to him. Again, Alyss snarled, but did nothing else. Alyss obviously didn't want him t know whatever the elf was about to tell him. "Why, she's the lost daughter of Nasauda. She's the princess of Alagaesia."


	16. Chapter 16

Please be sure and leave a review! I'll end up writing faster and more if I have reviews to look forward to!

* * *

Celyn instantly felt dizzy, but he forced disbelief to wash over him. The Princess had been gone for _years_. She'd practically been wiped off the face of Alagaesia. Celyn remembered many guards and magicians coming town to town to find the young girl, sometimes even the Queen herself.

Celyn remembered magicians portraying images of her. She had been beautiful. Now that he thought about it, certain features of the magician's images washed back over him, a certain one triggering his memory the most.

Her eyes.

Intense aqua eyes staring right at him, surrounding by a fringe of full, dark eye lashes. Those eyes had been mesmerizing, and that wasn't even in person. Celyn remembered being slightly taken back by the sight of her eyes when he had first met her. He couldn't believe that he hadn't recognized her.

Celyn shook his head. It wasn't her. Sure, Serena had blue eyes, but that meant nothing. "No- when I first met her she was living in a small cottage in the Spine. If she had run away from the castle, she would have taken many crowns and gotten herself a suitable home." Celyn said, trying to persuade not only Arya, but himself as well.

Arya smiled faintly. "I didn't believe it when the servants told me, either. So, I went and looked for myself. I asked a magician who had been in Alagaesia at the time, and he had confirmed it. That is definitely Seri."

_Seri. _The name struck him hard. _Serena. Seri. _They were so similar, he should have known. With a sigh, he ran a hand through his dark hair. "So now what?" He managed to say, just before he heard a scream.

Before he even knew what to think, Celyn floored to the castle. He didn't even pause to push the doors open. Somehow, he knew it was Serena. He flung himself up the stairs, working harder than he did even in training. He burst into the room.

Serena's thin form was curled up against the head board, her lips parted, preparing for yet another scream. On the other side of the room, an elf clothed in red was looking slightly startled at the screaming Rider.

Celyn grabbed the elf harsher than he had meant to. He dropped his hand almost instantly. He didn't have to say anything for the elf to know she had to go. The elf muttered a quiet apology and left the room. Serena stopped screaming, but she was still pinning herself up against the headboard. Celyn glanced at Alyss, who was bringing herself to her feet. The white dragon's head snaked forward as she attempted to calm her Rider, but with no prevail.

Celyn slid forward, reacting by instinct. He grabbed Serena carefully, pulling her against him. "Shhh.." He whispered. To his surprise, she allowed him to hold her. She wasn't crying, but she was shaking.

_Do you want to tell me about it? _He asked softly, his mind gently touching hers. He worked his mind like clay, surrounding her frightened mind with his calm mind.

Instead of speaking, she sent images. Celyn stifled a gasp of shock as the images pierced his mind like a knife. Red. A small room surrounded me, red liquid dripping from the walls. It was blood. The Shade's cruel face came into view, laughing at her pain. His pain.

Celyn let out a gasp as he came back to his own body, having to sit down to avoid falling with Serena. He held her tighter. "The elf's red cloak triggered that, didn't it?" He asked quietly, remembering the red.

She merely nodded, her whole body seeming to calm down the slightest. She stopped shaking, and her breathing slowed. Celyn ran a hand carefully through her hair before releasing her.

The strong girl he had known weeks before was gone. The fire in her eyes was replaced with complete terror. Her once thin but strong frame was now sickly, skin clinging desperately to her bones. Shadows clung to her face even when the light was shining directly on. It was like nothing he had ever seen.

She looked up, meeting his gaze. She opened her mouth to say something, before Alyss made a noise. Serena's eyes received a small glimmer of hope and she flung herself over the bed clumsily, clinging onto Alyss's sturdy neck. The dragon lowered her head so that it touched her Rider's shoulder.

Celyn watched from the bed, still somewhat shaky from the sight he had just seen. The color red had triggered that. Something so… _Simple _had changed her for the worst. That once strong, powerful girl was now even weaker than a human because of what that Shade did to her. Just at the thought of the Shade Celyn's hands clenched into tight fists.

He stood, casually brushing off his sleeves. He dipped his head in Serena's direction, even though her back was turned to him. He was about to move out of the room, when he saw Arya in the doorway.

"Go on." Arya said calmly, her green eyes gazing into his. She seemed to see right through him. Celyn dipped his head and sidestepped to get past her, and then left the room. He reached the main room when he saw Linnea and Derrington calmly waiting for him.

"Is she alright?" Derrington asked. Celyn explained what happened, and explained what had triggered her sudden fear.

Linnea cleared her throat. "Most people- even Riders wouldn't be able to overcome such tortures. I'd say that the color red is nothing compared to being scared of life itself."

Derrington bobbed his head in agreement. Celyn froze when he realized something. Derrington was… The son of Nasauda. So that meant...Celyn swallowed the lump that built up in his throat. He was Serena's brother.

Celyn ran a hand through his hair. "Arya's with her." He said quietly, shrugging his broad shoulders.

"Speaking of Arya…" Derrington said, leaning forward closer to Celyn. "What did she tell you?"

Celyn went rigid. _Of all things to ask… _He wasn't about to lie to Derrington, and the truth would come out eventually. He opened his mouth to answer, then closed it. With a sigh, he finally managed to say the words.

"She's the Lost Princess of Alagaesia. Princess Seri."

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Please don't forget to write a review! :D


	17. Chapter 17

I would just like to thank you guys for all the wonderful reviews I have been receiving. They mean a lot more than you think.

I am also here to discuss something quickly with you… Somebody commented that it should be 'all right' if somebody stole my plot, because that meant that my plot was better. You cannot create a fanfic of _my _fanfic that I have spent _hours_ on. No matter how amazing it would be to get something actually published, I cannot and will not steal Paolini's idea. End. Of. Discussion.

So if you see a story similar to mine, please report, or send it to me and I will report it for you. Thank you. c:

Okay, guys… I am frustrated to the point that I don't even want to continue anymore. I won't state a name, but somebody copied my idea. They used the name 'Linnea' which is okay, because it was a name mentioned in the book. But then, the character found the egg in a similar manner as my main character, Serena. This person also took my idea that an egg carrier had lost the egg.

Quite honestly, I don't even know what to say at this point. Don't worry this person _is _being reported. But quite frankly, I don't like people taking things that take _hours _of preparation and setting up to do. It is unacceptable.

Also… I am so torn between long chapters and fast chapters that I don't know what to do. But, I am going to stick to my original plan and upload on the weekends the best I can, so that I can work during the weekdays. You can tell me to hurry, but It probably won't work. (;

Now onto the real story!

Derrington's eyes narrowed and he stepped forward so that his gaze was level with Celyn's. "Don't. Don't speak of her." Derrington growled.

Celyn resisted the urge to step away. He stared blankly into Derrington's dark chocolate eyes. Celyn wasn't sure of the exact emotion that they held, but he knew that it wasn't a good one. Celyn had had a feeling that his sister was a sensitive topic, but he had never seen this side of Derrington before.

Celyn held his ground, half bracing himself for a blow. "I wouldn't bring it up if it weren't true."

Derrington's fists clenched at his side. "You don't know anything about her, Celyn. She died years ago."

"Then why hasn't her body been found? How do you know _for sure _that this is not your sister, if you have not seen her?" Celyn pressed calmly.

Derrington's jaw went taut. Celyn watched him carefully, his eyes tracing the Rider's every move. Just in case. Derrington didn't usually lash out, but it hadn't been unheard of that he had socked somebody in the mouth before. According to the rumors, they had also been about his sister, or the lost Princess.

Derrington seemed to relax the slightest and sidestepped past Celyn, heading for the castle.

Celyn fled after Derrington. "I'm not sure that it's a good idea to go in there and yell at her for something she did a long time ago…"

Derrington didn't slow. "Who ever said I was going to chew her out? I just need to see- for my own eyes."

Celyn grabbed Derrington's arm. That did it. Celyn barely had time to blink before Derrington's fist connected with his nose. Celyn groaned and held his nose, pulling away from Derrington. He muttered a curse, and forced himself to ignore the pain. He grasped Derrington's shoulder now.

Derrington doubled back, but Celyn ducked before his fist could connect again. "Give her time, Derrington."

Derrington glared at Celyn. He eyed the other Rider momentarily before saying, "I've waited five years. I say I've waited a few moments too long." Derrington said before turning and jogging away to the tower.

Derrington ran easily past the gawking elves and pushed open the doors of the tower. The elven guards only dipped their heads his way and continued to stare blankly ahead, both of them holding long, curved spears.

Derrington flew up the stairs. He didn't know where he was going, or even where Serena would be if it were true. He traveled up the stairs quickly, traveling by two at a time. Soon, the stairs leveled out and doors lined the small, circular room. Derrington reached out with his mind, searching for any living things in each room.

There, in the third door to the left, was the faint spark of a mind. Derrington couldn't break into the mind if he tried. It had thick walls built up around it. Derrington knew only a handful of people whom had such strong of minds. They had either been practicing for years, or had been through something where they wanted to protect every memory with everything they had.

Derrington sucked in a sharp, shallow breath before grasping the brass doorknob. He turned it swiftly and stepped in. He blinked in surprise at a massive hole in the wall, and a white dragon standing in the room. The white dragon's lip was curled into a snarl, up until she saw whom it was that had just entered. Alyss snaked her head back, amethyst eyes cautiously flashing to a figure whom was sitting up in the bed.

Derrington took in her features instantly. Fair skin, long dark brown hair that tumbled past her shoulders. The eyes are what made him realize. Realize whom she was. That it truly was his sister.

They were the same electric blue, but they held something deeper and more meaningful behind them. Fear. Pain. Misery and agony. It was like nothing he had ever seen. That was when Derrington realized just how thin she was. Her cheekbones were showing unnaturally, and there were deep dark circles surrounding her eyes.

Derrington leaned against the wall for support. It was Seri, but it was also somebody different. Somebody whom had been through the unimaginable. Somebody whom had been through more pain than men who had lived to be a thousand years. All anger that had swelled up inside him for so long was now gone. How could he be mad at her?

Instead, Derrington stumbled forward and leaned down. He wrapped his strong arms around Seri and held her there, mainly for his own comfort. To his surprise, she let him. After brief hesitation, her arms went gently around his torso. She buried her face in the crook of his neck after another moment's hesitation.

Derrington sat there in that position for a while. He wasn't sure how long he had been there, and he didn't care. Seri. His Seri, his only sister, was alive. Unhealthy, but alive. At this point in time, that was all that mattered to him.

Celyn watched Derrington leave with shifty eyes. He was within an earshot, so that if he heard yelling, he would be there in a flash. And he _would _drag Derrington from the room by his ears.

It took a moment for Celyn to hear Vrang's mind protruding his. _Celyn! _Celyn jumped and glanced up at the sky as the silver dragon landed. _About time. Nasauda, or whatever her name is, is coming. She's a few miles away from the front gate, and at the pace she's traveling at, could be here at any moment. _

"_Abr xarn." _Of course. Celyn quickly bounded to Vrang and swung onto the dragon's bare back. He grasped the curved spike in front of him as Vrang lifted off the ground. The great dragon raced over the city and landed heavily before the gate.

"Open the gate." Celyn said gruffly as he swung from the saddle. The elf hesitated, before calling a command at the gate keepers. The two elves pulled a lever and the gate slowly began to come up.

By the time the gate was finally up, Celyn could see the blur of horses. Dang, they were moving fast. Celyn moved aside and Vrang did the same to allow the horses enough room. There was a total of seven horses. There were five guards with sheaths at their side, and then there were two people at the center. He recognized the female as Nasauda, but he was unable to recognize the other. It was a tall male with slightly pointed ears. He had sandy blonde hair and tan skin.

The supposed Rider swung from the saddle and easily crossed to Nasauda. He held up his hand to help the Queen down from the saddle. Nasauda hesitated before grasping his hand and dropped down.

Nasauda, spotting Celyn and Vrang, came forward to Celyn. "Where is she?"

Celyn inhaled slowly. "I thought you weren't going to make it until the three days until now…"

Nasauda let out a slightly annoyed sound. Celyn hadn't seen her this way. Ever. "I had a magician cast a spell over the horses to give them more stamina and much excessive speed." She said quickly through gritted teeth. _"Now where is my daughter._"

Celyn winced when the words came out more as a command then a question. _I think I might be more scared of her than I am Derrington… _"Derrington is with her right now."

Nasauda's brown eyes softened the slightest, but still remained focused on Celyn. "He knows?" Celyn nodded briskly.

Celyn glanced past Nasauda when the blonde man came forward. He was just as tall as Celyn, and had fierce green eyes. He appeared to be about seventeen or eighteen. "Is she well?" The boy asked, his eyes meeting Celyn's.

"Well.." Celyn hesitated. "She's alive." He said finally, carefully. He was only telling the truth. Serena wasn't exactly 'well'.

She was further from well than they all seized to believe.


	18. Chapter 18

Hello, guys… I have been a horrible person by not updating quickly enough. So many comments about me not updating quick enough. I am sorry, life has me on my toes at the moment. I just found out that my cat is not a boy, but a girl, and I feel really dumb at the moment.. Anyway…

Somebody commented and gave me an _awesome _idea. You know who you are… When I first came up with Alyss, I knew that she was going to be different from the other dragons. If you've read all my updates and stuff you'll know that Alyss is a very thin and lithe dragon, definitely not heavy built. She is also a very quick dragon, and that makes up where she lacks in strength. Somebody said that I should have her as an ultra rare dragon that is now extinct, or something along those lines. I can't remember the comment exactly, but I figured it was a really good idea, and that I should use it. So thumbs up to Dragonrider221 for that awesome idea. :D

Also… I am bringing a newer character into the story, so pay attention to him. He'll get pretty important later on.

This is now getting interesting. A few of you might understand the thrill of writing something people actually _like. _I really appreciate all the comments and support, and I read and cherish every comment. (I am getting 4,000+ views… o.o) So follow, comment, everything is incredibly nice! c:

Nasauda glanced over to the side at the tall blonde boy. His jaw was taut, and his blue eyes flickered with worry. Nasauda touched his shoulder lightly.

"Come along, Talon. We should go see her now."

Celyn parted his lips to object, ready to mention that it might be to overwhelming for Serena to handle, but he knew that there was no stopping Nasauda when she wanted something. He merely dipped his head and gave a small gesture with his arm, hinting for her to follow him.

Celyn lead Nasauda across the courtyard when he realized Nasauda wasn't the only one following him. The boy, Talon, too. _Just what Serena needs…_

Celyn cleared his throat as he pushed the door open. "Up the stairs to the left. If you're in the room where there's a hole in the wall, then you're in the right place."

Celyn stepped away as he let Nasauda pass, but Talon stayed right where he was. He watched the Queen disappear inside the tower door, and then turned and walked away. Celyn watched him with a curious gaze before letting the door slam behind himself. He paused slightly.

Nasauda wouldn't know that Serena was a Rider. Well, maybe she would, but it was doubtful. He hesitated, and then shrugged and walked away. She would learn soon enough, no doubt about it.

Nasauda pushed the door open with the toe of her boot. _Hole in the wall? Like a window? _ Nasauda attempted to stifle a gasp at the sight of a massive hole in the wall. Big enough to fit a… Dragon. Nasauda went rigid at the sight of a pearl white dragon. The dragon's lip curled slightly, and the deep vibrations of a growl reverberated through the room's floor and walls. The dragon soon dropped her lip and ended the growl, but two amethyst eyes still bore into Nasauda.

Nasauda glanced up when she saw movement. Derrington, her son, gently lifting a figure and placing her on the bed with ease. Nasauda couldn't quite see the girl's face, but she had a feeling who it was. Nasauda stumbled forward to Derrington's side as he pulled the blanket up to the girl's chin.

Gentle cheekbones, dark eye lashes, elegant face build, Nasauda knew exactly who this was. Nasauda tilted her head and reached out slowly, placing her hand on the side of the girl's face.

"Seri… My sweet Seri…" Nasauda murmured, pulling her hand away. Without being totally aware of it, a tear fell from Nasauda's eye and slipped down her cheek. She wiped it away with her thumb and felt Derrington gently press up against her.

"You were right for never giving up on her. Too bad she's in this state."

"What happened to her…?" Nasauda whispered. Derrington told her the mortifying story of what happened. A shade did this to her. A _shade. _Why? Nobody knew for sure, except for the Shade himself.

Nasauda felt sick to her stomach. By the sound of it, Seri had gone through this for absolutely no reason at all. Nasauda took a deep breath and returned to her posture. No matter how much she wanted to take care of Seri, she also had to worry about Alagaesia. After all, there was a Shade in the land that could be plotting who knows what.

Serena's blue eyes fluttered open facing the ceiling. She closed her eyes and sighed softly, gently arching her back in a slight stretch. That was when she realized that there was somebody holding her hand. She instinctively jerked her hand away and looked over at the person in surprise. She relaxed slightly when she saw that it was simply Derrington.

Serena blinked and looked past him at where she had last seen Alyss. But the white dragon wasn't there. She jerked into a sitting position when Derrington placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"She went out to stretch. She'll be back soon." He said quietly and gently pushed her down.

True to his word, Alyss flew in a few minutes later. She landed on the ridge of what was left of the stone wall, and then wriggled her white body through. Like a snake sliding through a crevice in the rocks.

Serena sat up and swung her legs over the bedside, and this time, Derrington didn't try to stop her. She stood slowly and crossed over to the white dragon. Alyss curled her tail, ready to sweep it forward in case Serena did stumble.

But she didn't. Serena stood, bare feet and all, and cupped Alyss's chin. She smiled faintly when Alyss breathed warm air in her face. Serena pressed her forehead against Alyss's and slid her other hand up to the sharp curve of her cheek bone and grasped the largest spike out of the three.

"Nasauda was here." Serena's back when rigid at those three words. She jerked away from Alyss and turned to face Derrington. Her eyes were soft for a brief moment, before they hardened to emotionless orbs.

"I'm assuming she left to attend to business." Serena said coldly.

Derrington hesitated, "Well, yes… She has to notify Eragon and Orik of the Shade."

Serena turned back to Alyss, her blue eyes drifting over the white dragon. "Why am I not surprised." She murmured. It may have been in the form of a question, but it definitely wasn't a question.

"Why did you leave?" Derrington asked quietly. Serena didn't move her eyes from Alyss.

"You should know better than anybody, Derrington. You know that I wasn't treated fairly, and all I longed for was a bit of freedom and respect. Nasauda didn't trust that I could take care of myself, though. So, I left. I searched for Murtagh, and when I didn't find him, I didn't want to return so I stayed in the Spine." Serena said, her eyes not wandering from Alyss.

"Do you have any idea how worried we've all been for these past few years? Some of us actually gave up on the fact that you were alive. Including myself. There were so many people trying to tell Nasauda to give up, but she didn't. Every single month since the day you left she sent out a search party to find you. Every now and then we would find a trace of you, but never you." Derrington said, finally stopping to take a deep breath.

Serena listened, but she didn't face him. She couldn't face him. She didn't know if she would be able to handle the unforgiving look on his face. "And look where it's gotten you."

Serena spun around at that. "I've been having the time of my life, Derrington. I took care of myself. I made friends outside the castle walls. Heck, I even found a tiger. I sold vegetables at the market, which got me enough money to fix myself a home and get myself a horse. I was _just fine _on my own. I became a Rider, something I _knew _Nasauda didn't want to happen to me, her precious daughter." Serena tried to contain the rage that boiled inside of her. She blinked in surprise. This wasn't her. She wasn't herself. Serena closed her eyes and leaned against Alyss, her eyes going downcast. It must be something with the medication that made her all emotional.

Derrington cleared his throat. "I just wish you would have said something to me and Nasauda. All you left was a note. That note was the last thing I'd seen of my sister." Derrington said, before standing and leaving the room. Serena sank down to a sitting position, bringing her knees up to her chest. Alyss curled her tail around the young Rider before curling her whole body around Seri. There were no words to be said.

Bleh. Sorry for a meaningless chapter...

Please review!


	19. Chapter 19

Guys, I am sooo sorry.

I have been so caught up in school and such that I have had no time what so ever to post anything. I will try much harder to get chapters up more frequently, but I probably won't be able to post much, unfortunately. I have a lot to do this Summer. Between switching between my mother, my father, and training my horse, updating this all the time is not much of an option.

This is not going to be a long chapter; at all. Haha, hope you can forgive me...?

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The next day was not an easy day.

Seri was still exhausted. She had this constant buzz in the back of her mind, as if somebody were always there. She kept her thought process and her memories well-hidden just to be safe, but the buzz never went away.

Alyss was more than protective. She never left Seri's side, not even for a heartbeat. The loyal dragon wouldn't even allow anybody into the room. One look from her amethyst gaze and the servants and Elves would be falling over themselves to get away from her. Even the fellow dragons and Riders kept their distance from the fiery-eyed dragon.

Seri didn't have to say anything for Alyss to know that she was thankful. Sometimes, silence was louder than words, especially in this case.

So Seri sat alone in her bedroom. Nasauda and Derrington had made countless attempts to try and get to her, but Alyss wouldn't move from the door. Seri sat crosslegged, her bright blue eyes staring blankly at the marble walling. At the moment, she had no clue what to think. Various thoughts and memories clouded her mind, but none of which meant anything to her. She had no urge to read, no urge to sharpen her blades. The only thing that she held was the small amethyst pendant.

Alyss suddenly lifted her body from the ground, tearing Seri from her thought process. The startled girl stared wide-eyed at the dragon, alarmed by even the slightest movement of her other half. Sensing the sudden discomfort, Alyss went still almost instantly.

_It's okay, Seri. I'm not going to hurt you. _Alyss thought carefully, and Seri gradually relaxed. _I am, however, quite famished. I will be back within a moment, and I will tear apart anybody who has dared to bother you._

Seri pursed her lips, saying nothing as the white dragon disappeared into the blue sky. Seri stood, crossing over to the white dresser in the room. She carefully pulled out some Elven clothing, changing slowly. The Elves had healed her insides, but her skin was still battered and bruised. She avoided the mirror at all costs as she changed. Finally, she turned towards the reflecting glass. She started at the bottom. She was clothed in a white pair of lace boots, much like her own. But these had more of a sleek look to them, no flaws at all in the leather. She wore a pair of light brown tights, which showed every small curve of her thighs and calves. She appeared unnaturally thin. Mumbling, she tugged down the shirt. The shirt was one that was tight, the final seam ending mid-thigh. It had no sleeves, so it revealed her long slender arms. The strapless top revealed every jutting out bone on her thin body, but the Elven clothing still looked good on her. She gathered her hair to the side, moving towards the door in silence. She pursed her lips as she wrapped her long fingers around the brass handle.

With a sigh, she pulled away, stepping back. She wasn't prepared to face anybody, muchless people who were disappointed in her.


End file.
